"Pant… Pant…"
The hill leading to Trix Hall was steep.
Because I trained my body to some extent by running in the morning and at night, I thought a slope of that size wouldn't be a problem for me… But I don't think I took the fact that my body was already exhausted into account.
When I turned around after coming up to the center of the hill, I could see over the eastern half of the island. Far away, on the eastern cliff sides, the smoke that Yennekar used as a signal was rising.
[They've finished checking that all 57 of them are on the boat. Everyone seems to have finished retreating. Now that they are done checking, Lady Yennekar should return soon.]
The flaming bat towards me from one of the cliffs on the outskirts, settling on my shoulder.
It was quite a magnificent sight, the crashing waves under the cliffs off in the distance. In the meantime, the mercenaries were swimming out towards their boats.
Since it was dark, I wondered if they had broken through those same waves coming in from the cliff sides to enter the academy grounds.
No matter how much they wanted to avoid the academy's surveillance, wasn't doing it that way too reckless of a strategy?
In any case, the mercenaries' judgment was cool-headed.
I knew just how much it must have hurt their trust, having to leave behind their own client.
Nevertheless, they had ended up abandoning Elte as they recognized the difference in our powers.
There was nothing more stupid than accepting a request that was impossible to fulfill.
Even though their trust may have been damaged, and within their profession it will leave a mark for at least a while, it still was not more important than saving their immediate lives.
The reason they could remain veterans for such a long period of time must have come partially from that thorough judgment of theirs.
Looking from the outskirts by the sea more inwards, the number of Professor Glast magic power towers had already reached fifteen.
The magic power towers that were built up from the Celestial magic circles pre-engraved across Acken Island… They were so tall that you could probably see them even across the sea, on the main continent.
Boom! BOOOOM!
Keeeeeeeeeeeek!
A shrill scream echoed throughout Acken Island's night sky.
The screams came from the last boss of the secret laboratory, 'The Revived Devil of the Underground Waterways.'
With as much time having been passed as it had, it made sense that Taylee would have already progressed his attack significantly.
Soon, they would enter the Glast Subjugation and complete the final chapter of Act 2.
I put off determining how we would deal with the subjugated Elte for the moment.
I didn't really mind having to hand him over to the Elte Company and putting it aside until after the subjugation ended.
Lortel would end up taking care of most of the work. After all, it was Lortel herself who needed to end that ill-fated relationship with him.
We subjugated Elte and his mercenaries, came to an agreement with the mercenary group, had them retreat, and even confirmed that they had all left the island. I also had reached the vicinity of Trix Hall. Even though I ran at full speed, it still took me quite some time.
Soon, Act 2 would come to its final stage.
It was about time that I arrived at the end of my backwards journey that had started from the secret laboratory.
The place where all of the events of the episode had begun, Trix Hall. When I arrived, I wondered if they had finished the named boss alright… Once I checked that there weren't any major problems, I'd be finished.
In fact, it was obvious that there wouldn't be any major problems in Trix Hall. I just visited to check, just in case. After all, there was no harm in being thorough.
Taylee arrived at the underground waterways as expected, I even made sure to check that his Clear Specs were high enough, so all I had to do was let go and wait.
The biggest variable was Lucy… Somehow or another, it would work out.
"Gasp… Gasp…"
I took a breath as I looked up at the entirety of Trix hall.
The academy faculty were completely occupied, neck deep in trying to figure out the extent of the damage.
Though, now the confusion had calmed down to some extent, the evacuation of the students had been complete and there seemed to be movement in commencing their chase after Professor Glast.
The academy had a lot of things they would need to take responsibility for, and needed to keep their eyes open, so their decision was ultimately to prioritize minimizing as much damage as possible and ensuring the safety of all the students.
They could only move after taking the necessary measures to prevent damage to the students and faculty, so their decisions were rather conservative and slow.
That was probably the reason Taylee had gone first, but… I wondered if even then, progress was still all too slow. It felt as if the person that had the most responsibility out of everyone for the situation was deliberately slowing down the process.
"As expected… The situation at Trix Hall is just as I thought."
Given that, I quickly skimmed over the story's stage. I hadn't known it would become a backwards journey, but… Either way, I was glad that Taylee—who was going forward—was finishing up everything well.
I increased my combat proficiency quite a bit, and more than anything else, I was able to obtain many rare magically engineered item production formulas. Depending on how I used them, I might even be able to use ridiculously over-specced magically engineered items. Out of everything, that was the best news.
Not only that, but the preparations for the hardships ahead… Even though it wasn't perfect, I felt like it was still enough.
I walked right into Trix Hall as if it was nothing. Everyone was already so busy that they didn't have time to pay attention to me.
They just guessed that, given my worn-out clothes, I must have been a student that was a victim of it all.
I trudged up the stairs. Walking through the rubble that was scattered around from the broken building, before I knew it, I had reached the rooftop.
It was a building that was built way up high, on top of a hill. Opening the door, I could see the entirety of the open night sky.
After running and running all the way from the secret laboratory, I had finally arrived. It was a short, yet long, journey.
Walking out spotting the back of a girl that was sitting and swinging her feet around like a child was a familiar scene. I went there just in case, but it was as I thought.
I knew right away that it was the girl that liked to take naps on the rooftop of Trix Hall. Even though she was seen on the rooftops of various buildings, the frequency of which one could catch her at Trix Hall was overwhelming.
Perhaps she liked the open scenery and being able to see a wide view of the island all at once.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just looking at that."
It was Professor Glast's tower of magic power.
The tower of magic power that stood tall in the night sky looked like a beautiful pillar of light at first glance. It had an ominous symbolic meaning to the students that didn't know the full story. But it also felt like a romantic aurora to those that knew the entirety of the situation.
Soon, everything would come to an end. Taylee's Swordmaster's Skill was already rising on track. Already, the chances of failure were moving further and further away.
"I thought of the past a bit."
With the light of the night sky falling down on her, the girl tapped the side of the railing. She looked at me and told me to sit next to her.
I let out a deep breath as I sat down next to her on that extremely dangerous railing. Lucy wouldn't die if she fell, but I'd die in an instant. Well, if that happened I was sure she would save me but… that didn't mean that it wasn't dangerous.
"You know."
"What?"
Hearing Lucy say 'you know', I already knew what she would respond back with. However… Even knowing that much, I let her finish saying it.
"Do you have any jerky left?"
"I told you before, I don't have any."
"Hmph…"
The flow of the conversation was nothing more than small talk, so there was no sort of emotional consumption.
Just sitting next to Lucy like that, looking up at the magic power tower together.
There was nothing left to do. I could just sit still as a supporting character or a villain watching over the final moments of the stage. There definitely wasn't a place for the audience to sit there like that.
"There was a time I cried a lot in the past."
Looking up at the starry night sky, Lucy uttered those words out of nowhere.
"Something really sad had happened before, so I cried a lot. Since some time ago, though, I haven't been sad."
"Why's that?"
"It's just that, since some time ago, I haven't been sad. Why did that happen? I thought long and hard, and thought that maybe the reason I was no longer sad was because of some change in my heart… Surprisingly, that wasn't the reason."
Turning my head to look at Lucy, she looked expressionless and dazed as usual. A pool of light from the tower of magic power shone down intensely on her, but I didn't even feel a slight change in her emotion.
"It was just because a lot of time had passed."
Lucy came to that conclusion by herself. It was an accurate and perfect insight.
"A long time has passed, and it would be stupid to just keep digging open that wound on purpose. If I try to save that old man with something like Celestial Magic, he'll just have to leave again one day."
"If you go… Are you confident you won't regret it?"
There wasn't a particular reason why I tossed that question out to her.
I had witnessed every single storyline within
But Lucy, who had completely destroyed the player and slowly disappeared down the underground waterways by herself… I couldn't even lie and say that she looked relieved after it all.
Lucy had ultimately lowered her gaze, having no choice but to respond with a rather low voice.
"No."
The reason Professor Glast was able to persuade Lucy was because he promised to use the power of Celestial Magic to save the archmage Glockt.
If the plan was going to be derailed by Lucy anyway, he might as well have brought back Lucy's teacher Glockt instead of Silvenia.
Glockt might not have been as great as Silvenia, but he was still an impressive man in history that had made at least some progress. It was a little different compared to his original goal, but… If he could also obtain Lucy as an ally in doing so, it would have been worth it.
In the process, it was easy to figure out just what Glast had told Lucy to bring her over to his side.
He must have been continuously stimulating and provoking the longing that laid in her heart. In the first place, he was a professor. There wasn't anything strange about it. It was completely possible for him to take advantage of Lucy when she had a brief lapse in judgment because of that loneliness deep in her heart.
That was why… It wasn't that difficult to change Lucy's heart.
The reason was because Lucy already knew about it.
What was lost was lost.
There was no need to purposely bring back the pain of that loss.
"And if he came back, I think he'd just pinch my cheeks and get angry again. It really hurts, you know."
The three fields that distorted the world's providence, blurring the current flow of time and rejecting the framework of a human's destiny.
The pursuit of eternal life, the resurrection of the dead, and the reversal of time.
They were also the biggest taboos in magic.
I stared up at the pool of light as I responded.
"It would be a shame to bring back one of the most extraordinary archmages in history, who devoted his entire life to the study of magic, with such taboos."
"In the first place, he ended up dying when he was already prepared to die. He might lose his temper if he has to die all over again. Yeah… I knew that from the beginning. If we brought him back, it would only be because of my greed."
He lived a frugal life, donating all of his savings to Silvenia Academy.
The traces of that were obvious throughout the academy.
One of the three buildings of the student center that Yennekar had destroyed was Glockt Hall. And the institution that I received my scholarships for the semester from was the Glockt Scholarship Foundation.
Not only that, but with Glockt's name engraved all around, Lucy might have felt as if the academy itself was like a relic that Glockt had left behind.
"So, Lucy."
The busy and urgent situation was coming to an end, and I could finally go back to being a member of the audience.
"Are you sure it's okay?"
From my position, I wasn't going to tell her to not go. However, in the first place it was something I couldn't do.
There was no way I could control a person's emotions as I saw fit.
She already knew that reviving Glockt was an overly impulsive decision. She also knew that she couldn't let her reasoning be swayed by something she had lost.
But still, giving up on such an opportunity could only have hurt her emotions. It would hurt anyone that was actually human.
There was no change in expression on that girl's face. However, I couldn't jump to the conclusion that it was as peaceful and calm inside of her.
As I lived in society, I often felt it.
The more superficial a person was, the more often their insides were a mess.
For those that ignored their emotions, even when you thought they were doing okay… You really couldn't jump to conclusions until you had fully looked inside their hearts.
Humans were such unpredictable creatures.
There were people that might have appeared weak because they were emotional and full of tears but could actually overcome great hardships.
Then there were people who were emotionless and blunt—much like a machine—and often seemed okay, but there were many cases where they easily fell.
That was why I couldn't help but check on her.
Then, the answer came.
"You know."
In this situation is she really going to ask about the jerky again. That's really like her… Was what I thought was going to happen as I let out a sight, but—
"Let me borrow your shoulder."
I was wondering why she had asked me to come sit by the railing… At most, it was because of that.
Rather than answering with my voice, I nodded lightly.
It was going to be hard to come across someone else that studied Celestial Magic as passionately as Professor Glast.
Magic regarding the resurrection of the dead had also become a train that had left its station.
The dead were dead. And what was lost was lost.
Amongst those that had given up on the present because of a loss in the past, they nearly never ended up with a happy ending.
Perhaps that was the difference between Lucy and Professor Glast.
The form that loss took varied from person to person, but would eventually find everyone fairly. You had to accept the loss and know how to cover the wound with what you were given.
Lucy fully understood that fact.
Lucy and I sat side by side, looking up at the tower of magic power for a while.
The stars that entered our view looked higher than usual. It was truly beautiful.
***
Thud!
The subjugation force, covered in the blood of various monsters, stood at the top of the tower of magic power.
The top of the magic tower was surrounded by a pool of light. In the middle of the open square, where you could see the starry sky… Professor Glast was standing with Ayla, who was tied up.
All kinds of test tubes and research materials were scattered around. The giant magic book floating in the air was the 'Sage's Seal', which finished its resonance.
"Professor Glast!"
With Taylee crying out, Professor Glast rose to his feet, looking back.
There wasn't much life left on that haggard face of his. Because he stayed up over the past several days, the level of exhaustion he felt made him look like he was dying.
Nevertheless, he couldn't take it easy with all the Celestial Magic Power that was around his body.
Professor Glast stood upright as he looked back at the subjugation force and said something in a soft voice.
No one knew exactly who those lines were meant for. But considering how extreme this situation had become, there was only one thought that came to mind.
There was a hunch that those remarks would be his last… Professor Glast carefully thought over the meaning of those words.
"I miss you… Myuri."
Professor Glast repeated that name once more as he gently closed his eyes. It was the final chapter of Act 2.
-x-X-x-
A narrow field of view. It had been a worry for a long time for the shortsighted Professor Glast.
Having a job where he was required to read a lot of books, it was inevitable that he would suffer from nearsightedness and a narrowing field of view.
Life as a teacher was a static one, after all.
As with most jobs in the world, decades of repetition turned everything into a routine and a pattern.
Even the turbulent and chaotic year-long academic schedule didn't go outside the expectation that came with those decades of continuous repetition.
Even the unexpected events and problems that popped up every now and then would only become an experience of the past that, over time, would make a person start to think, Something like that did happen…
In the end, what remained of his memory was similar to a frame of his everyday scenery.
Sitting at the large desk in his private lab, carefully reading through and transcribing the Sage's Seal, analyzing Celestial Magic, managing the academy's curriculum, and reviewing the teaching materials for the students.
While doing so, the scenery outside the window changed.
Snow fell.
Rain fell.
The wind blew.
The sun rose in the east, and by the time he realized it, he found it already fleeing to the western sky.
The youngest professor, who accidentally made a mistake, came asking for forgiveness.
First year Elemental Studies majors that wanted to prepare for Intermediate Magic came to find him in his private lab.
The head dean, who was on his way to work, stopped by for a cup of tea.
With him sitting in that same spot just like that, spending day after day being buried in his work, one day those painful memories of his started to fade.
If it was a memory that couldn't be healed, then you couldn't help but slowly forget about it.
If you couldn't find a cure, ultimately you would end up finding a way to forget the pain.
From some point on, his dark circles got thicker, eyes dried up, and his hair grew thin. Even if he heard the gossiping people calling him 'Skull Face', it didn't hurt his feelings.
While sitting at his desk in his lab, twirling his quill, one day his vision started to become blurry.
Is it because of my nearsightedness that there's a problem, or is it because I'm running out of stamina, or maybe I just need to rest?
That was what he had thought… Though, compared to his usual work, the intensity of it wasn't particularly severe.
Occasionally, a glimpse of his past memories started to flood his mind again.
Straightening his spine and laying back in his chair, he wiped his face. Just like he always did, he gently closed his eyes.
There was no use in trying to recall Myuri's face anymore. All it did was hurt him.
If that was the case, what should he draw over that long darkness over his eyelids?
There was nothing to draw. It was a massive canvas with a novice artist holding a fresh brush.
Giving up on filling in that space, wider than the open sea, he opened his eyes again… In front of him was Taylee, holding his sword, and the rest of his party facing him.
***
Ed stepped down from the railing. After finishing his review of the overall situation by traveling backwards to Trix Hall, he thought it was about time to slowly head back to the underground waterways. He didn't want to leave, wanting to be around the scene of it all until the very end.
As Ed descended from the railing, Lucy also leaped off, grabbing his sleeve and following close behind him.
When Ed had asked her what was going on, Lucy shook her head a couple times, responding by telling him, 'Let's go together.'
The two of them went down the stairs leading to the rooftop of Trix Hall together.
***
Taylee's swordsmanship cut through the air on the roof of the tower of magic power.
Before it reached Professor Glast, the defensive magic he cast blocked the sword. His sword bounced off with a bang.
Right after, Ziggs followed up by making a fist and trying to strike Glast. It was an attack that was even accompanied by reinforced wind magic. But even in that instant, Professor Glast saw through it and cast the Advanced Celestial spell Time Prison.
Ziggs, who had been subdued, could no longer move. One after another, the time prison subdued both Elvira and Adele as well.
Taylee deflected it with his Swordmaster's Skill, and Clevius was safe because he was way out of range in the first place. Still, more than half of the party's fighting power was disabled.
But even then, the fighting spirit in Taylee's blazing eyes didn't falter. Rather, now you could see that even the eyes of that coward Clevius had been swayed as he jumped into the battlefield with his trembling hands.
Professor Glast constantly distanced himself from the two fighters to avoid their swordsmanship. And then, one by one, he started to take out his magically engineered items.
***
Ed, who reached the first floor of Trix Hall, had confirmed that the situation was nearly settled.
Most of the chaos had been cleared up and the expressions of all the students, who were confused and worried, seemed to have relaxed a bit.
With Lucy, who was grabbing his sleeve and following behind him, they passed through the first-floor hallway of Trix Hall.
Fragments of a magic golem were left everywhere. It was evidence of Taylee's battle.
The head researcher Melverick, who had fought against him, was lying unconscious.
The student president Verus, who had also tried to stop Taylee from running off on his own, was also resting in a corner. Taylee must have been full of rage with Ayla having been kidnapped. Even Verus couldn't stop Taylee when he was in such a state.
Ed ran over to Verus, who was nearly done with his term in office, trying to console him by saying that he had gone through a lot. Verus shook his head, saying he had only tried to stop Taylee because of his position as the student president but that he fully understood why Taylee was doing such a thing.
The second semester was nearly over. He would be busier once vacation came. Once the next student president election was finished, he would have to start preparing for graduation. The student president Verus said something with a bitter smile.
"What did I do while I was in office…?"
After saying that, he looked up at the night sky and through the broken ceiling, recalling that he had only lived a life being swayed by others.
***
Clevius' swordsmanship left a telling blow on Professor Glast's shoulder. It wasn't deep, but it was still a meaningful wound. Professor Glast grimaced as he activated the Shock-Enhanced Wave Ball.
Clevius, who had gotten shocked, nearly fell off the top of the tower of magic power. Taylee had barely managed to grab onto him, pulling him back. With his legs trembling in complete fear, Clevius couldn't hold himself back from putting up a fuss.
Professor Glast, who barely managed to create distance between them, patched up the wound on his shoulder. Given that he would keep on bleeding, he tied it up with his robe. To keep all of the close-distance fighters in check, he cast all sorts of beginner elemental magic.
For inexperienced students, it was magic that would require them to fully concentrate to use each one, but for an experienced person like Professor Glast? It was extremely easy, to the point that he could cast multiple times all at once.
It was hard for the two close-distance fighters to deal with, but Taylee bravely rushed in through the elemental magic.
***
Ed and Lucy, who were crossing through the education district and heading towards the entrance of the underground waterways, met Lortel as she was on her way from the commercial district.
Ed had asked how she ended up handling the Golden King Elte, while Lortel responded saying that she had locked up in a guest room back at the branch.
Elte was bound to lose all of his vested interest after some time anyway. As long as she made it so he couldn't run off anywhere, there wouldn't be a problem any longer. Now that they had the upper hand, there would be no more tricks he could use.
Asking Lortel if she felt any complicated feelings, since he was once her dad and she was now going to lose him, she shook her head.
Then she responded by saying that the pain of loss was nothing more than an improbable feeling to her.
She'd never had a family or friendship that she felt connected with enough that, if she lost them, she would truly feel any form of sincerity.
Saying that losing something was only a privilege for those that ultimately had something, Lortel and Ed looked up—standing side by side—at the tower of magic power.
The light coming off the tower enveloped the academy in desolation.
***
Glast, who was keeping Taylee and Clevius in check with beginner magic, began to emit a different Celestial Magic Power.
A dark reddish, ominous magic power filled the entirety of the rooftop.
The advanced Celestial Magic, Time Acceleration.
In an instant, the magic power flowing throughout Professor Glast's body exploded as his movement speed increased to a completely ridiculous degree.
The action itself seemed slow and sluggish, but the speed itself was strangely quick. It felt as if Professor Glast's own sense of time was speeding up.
Even beginner magic was being cast at ridiculous speeds, making it hard to withstand his attacks—let alone break through them.
However, as Taylee activated his Swordmaster's Skill, his hair turned white and his eyes glowed red.
The awakened Taylee rushed through the beginner magic, narrowing the distance.
Professor Glast, who was caught off guard by Taylee's movements beginning to even catch up with his own, increased his speed. He quickly pulled out the Shock-Enhanced Wave Balls once again and activated them, but this time Taylee's swordsmanship cut through it all.
Ultimately, with the distance being narrowed, Professor Glast was cut on his side. Blood poured out as the pain started to rise.
Professor Glast's eyes started to tremble greatly as his response to the magic power became noticeably unstable.
With that, Professor Glast's Wind Blade left a telling blow on Taylee.
Taylee collapsed after getting stabbed in the abdomen, but he stood up once more as the blood poured out. With his noble resolve to save Ayla, he overcame the excruciating pain and stood face to face with Professor Glast.
In the end, because of the instability in his Celestial Magic Power, a moment was made. A moment of weakness that broke down one of the Time Prisons, releasing Elvira from the seal.
Elvira, who had quickly grasped the situation, began throwing explosive reagents. Finally, Taylee's party was able to get back a long-range support, which brought them hope.
Professor Glast quickly began to cast another Celestial Magic, Miniature Time Reversal.
***
Ed, Lucy, and Lortel walked side by side and before they knew it, they reached the entrance of the underground waterways.
While thinking about whether they should head into the underground waterways to look around, the top third year alchemy student Dorothy came out of the entrance. She seemed to have recently come back to her senses.
Ed asked how she was doing out of courtesy and Dorothy responded by complaining that her head hurt, and she felt rather dizzy. Then, she spoke about her confrontation with the terrifying Yennekar.
Ed didn't really know what he should be saying in response, so he just kept listening. Dorothy continued rattling on before she suddenly looked up at the towers of magic power that had risen high in the sky.
She started to talk carefully, saying that she didn't know what Professor Glast was planning to do, but at the very least she still recognized him as an important teacher to her.
Even though it felt like he was always looking at them from somewhere far away, and that distance had never been narrowed down, if she had to pick the best teacher she ever met at Silvenia Academy she would always pick Glast.
Ed listened on, understanding just why Dorothy was so involved in that scheme of his. Everyone criticized Glast for being ill-mannered and rude, but to others he was a reliable and kind teacher.
***
Professor Glast's wounds healed in an instant as the dark-reddish magic power covering the sky grew even more massive.
Miniature Time Reversal was a spell that rewound time for your body, reverting all wounds on your body to nothing.
With every ounce of magic power being manifested, Taylee, Elvira, and Clevius kept their eyes open. Due to the power of Celestial Magic, which ignored the law of causation, in an instant Taylee's fighting spirit was wounded.
But he couldn't get frustrated there. As long as his lifelong partner Ayla's life was still being kept as collateral, Taylee could never give up. Only Taylee himself knew just how enormous Ayla's presence was in his life, which was full of difficult and arduous hardships.
He entered the second stage of the Swordmaster's Skill, which he had activated. In an instant, Taylee's mind was filled with all sorts of techniques.
But Professor Glast was definitely not an enemy that would be pushed around.
The Celestial Magic that Professor Glast had researched to its limit covered the entirety of Taylee and his party. It was the Advanced Celestial Magic, Nightmare Engravement. Even Taylee couldn't cut it down with his Swordmaster's Skill.
In an instant, Taylee and his party fell unconscious, into a state of nightmarish hallucinations as they experienced their own deaths hundreds of times over.
An illusion of being cut, stabbed, or injured in other ways—countless times, over and over again until their minds broke.
In terms of time, it all took place over only a brief moment. However, it wouldn't be strange to consider it a hardship that would break down your heart hundreds of times over.
But even then, Taylee, Clevius, and Elvira all broke through the hallucination in an instant.
Unlike Clevius, who had thrown up, or Elvira, who had tears and snot running down her face, Taylee clenched his teeth and ran straight back at Glast.
However, he couldn't break through Glast's defenses with his fragile body. The low-ranking spirits that Professor Glast had called on rose in unison, concentrating on Taylee's body with elemental magic.
Taylee tried to break through as much as he could, striking dozens of times, but in the end he couldn't reach where Professor Glast was standing and collapsed as his body became a wreck.
The moment Professor Glast was about to deliver his final blow, an Ice Spear pierced through his abdomen.
***
Taking advantage of the disruption of his Celestial Magic during his fight with Taylee, Ziggs had also managed to break through the Time Prison.
Grasping the state of the situation immediately, he started to cast the Intermediate Ice Magic Ice Spear without delay.
It was rather crude compared to Lortel's, who was already well versed in Ice Magic, but it was enough to quickly cast and subdue Professor Glast.
Blood gushed from Professor Glast's mouth. It was a fatal wound.
But Professor Glast once again cast a time-related magic by paying with part of his lifespan, so he was able to repair his wound.
***
It had already been quite a while since they had run into Dorothy.
After a discussion, Ed and Lortel decided to not go back into the underground waterways. The ground looked rather unstable because of the continuous earthquakes, to the point that it wouldn't be strange if it were to collapse at any moment.
Ed was disappointed, feeling like it was a waste to leave all of the magically engineered items and production formulas that were still in the Soul Library, but in the end it wasn't something that was worth risking his life over.
While standing around and thinking about watching over everything to make sure it finished well, Yennekar came out of the forest.
Yennekar returned after confirming that Elte's mercenaries had all retreated without any major issues. She came back later than he had thought, making him wonder if she had perhaps stopped somewhere.
With Ed asking where she had come from, she responded by saying there was something she definitely wanted to check.
Yennekar continued to explain something that Takan had told her after the previous Occupation of Ophelis Hall incident.
'Come to think of it, I sensed a strange flow of magic power coming from the outer part of the northern forest. We should check it out when there's time.'
'It seems to be a magic circle related to Celestial magic, as it's only active at night. Merilda is figuring out the exact location it's coming from.'
Seeing as it was Celestial Magic, she had suddenly been reminded of it and went to check on it right away. She thought it might have been a magic circle that was set up to build a tower of magic power, but there wasn't a single tower in the northern forest.
If that was the case, could it have been a magic circle that was engraved for another reason? Yennekar seemed to be greatly concerned about that fact.
That was why she wanted to check it out one more time. When Yennekar had asked Ed if he could come with her, Ed nodded his head. He was also interested in it.
As they were about to leave, they heard the rustling in the bushes in the forest right behind the zelkova tree next to them.
With it came a 'Hecek!' sound.
Checking to see who was hiding, it was the Assistant Professor Cleoh Elpin, who was sitting there by herself and hugging her knees.
***
Even though the injury might have reverted, that didn't mean he didn't feel the pain.
The pain of being stabbed many times still lingered in his mind, shaking Professor Glast's spirit.
Because of the forbidden magic power that he had brought to its limits, the veins in his eyes began to enlarge and his already pale complexion started to turn even more white.
Reinforced Claw Fingers, Shock-Enhanced Wave Balls, Call of the Abyss, Ignite, Wind Blade, Hellfire, Devilish Infection, Time Acceleration, Beginner Spirit Magic, Short-range Spatial Movement, Gravity Reversal, Cleansing Wind, Magic Golem Summoning, Explosion, Monster Unleashing, Spatial Freezing, Reagent of Misfortune, Chestnut Flower Reagent, Smokescreen Reagent, and Steel Rock Reagent.
With all sorts of magically engineered items, elemental magics, summoning magics, spatial magics, interference magics, curse magics, and even alchemy reagents, he was able to control the battlefield. The top of the tower of magic power was quite large, but there still wasn't a place that Taylee and his team could safely stand.
In an instant, Taylee's party began to be cornered.
Nevertheless, Taylee's fighting spirit didn't break.
At that point, he might have been frustrated but his eyes were still blazing with passion as they focused on Ayla, who had always been by his side. His resolve to save Ayla was enough for anyone to be in awe about.
Taylee and the party he was leading began to try and break through Professor Glast's Interference Magic.
The close-ranged fighters, who were forced to go the long way around, managed to close the distance and damage Professor Glast's body slightly.
Even though he was dodging, widening the distance, and blocking there was a limit to what he could do. In the first place, Professor Glast was weak in close combat.
Blood started to spurt from his shoulder again as a dagger grazed his collarbone with a magic attack, piercing through his thigh.
Nevertheless, over and over again he used the forbidden magic power to its limit, rewinding the state of his body. No matter how fatally wounded he might get, Professor Glast had no intention of falling.
It felt like they were hitting a tall, sturdy wall with their bare hands. But Taylee and his party refused to get frustrated or give up.
Never accept defeat. Never give into the pain. And don't get frustrated by the hardships.
That was what it meant to be a hero.
Finally, the remaining Time Prison was broken as 'The Romantic Adele' finally joined the battlefield.
***
Surprised by the sight of Yennekar, Assistant Professor Cleoh—with a somewhat fearful expression—began to apologize over and over, as if she had done something wrong.
Yennekar, who was rather troubled by her reaction, bowed her head in apology as well. But Cleoh didn't seem to have a sense of relief from that, as she started to look a bit nervous and a cold sweat rolled down her face.
When Ed asked her what she was doing there, she responded saying that she ran away because the underground waterways looked a bit dangerous.
Ed observed Cleoh's face. Her skin had spots on it here and there, she looked disheveled, and her eyes were bloodshot. He was even going to ask if she had really ended up crying because Yennekar was so scary… but the tear stains on her face were already quite dry from before.
Asking her if she was crying, Cleoh panicked and responded with a strained laugh, smiling and nodding her head.
Cleoh ended up crying as she left the battlefield and looked up at the towers of magic power that were suddenly high up in the sky.
Before he could ask just what was so sad about it, Assistant Professor Cleoh answered.
She had been a pupil of Professor Glast's for many years, ever since she first entered Silvenia.
"Professor Glast is obviously a person that you can't help but hate. He's a stubborn old man that's completely rude and disrespectful, and with that skull-like face of his he will just dump all of his own work on you and preach about his own self-righteousness. And if you don't do something the way he wants, you'll just get yelled at… No matter how much you try to like him, he's a person that you just can't like."
No matter what, it seemed as if she had some guess as to what the whole story was about or the meaning behind Professor Glast's words to her. He was a man with great intuition and a good eye for useless things.
"But… At least… Out of all the people I've met since I came to Silvenia… He was the most scholarly scholar."
Sniffling, Assistant Professor Cleoh looked up at the tower of magic power in the night sky, just like everyone else.
Either way, she was the one that had been with Professor Glast since the start of her degree program, all the way to when she was a new professor… She was his pupil.
***
With Adele joining in, the tide of the battle started to turn little by little. With the help of Adele, who had an exceptional talent for Cleansing Magic and strengthening her allies, the moments Professor Glast had to give up on their distance had noticeably increased.
Even after being stabbed in the stomach, stabbed in the shoulder, and getting fatally wounded repeatedly, Professor Glast stood up again and again without blinking an eye.
At some point, he even gave up tying his blood drenched faculty robe.
Even Taylee was covered in wounds. The difference was that Taylee couldn't rewind time.
Even though he was already in a bad condition drenched in blood, he still continued to lift his sword. Even his mental state wasn't in a normal condition due to repeatedly being attacked by mental magic.
Nevertheless, his will did not break. His legs were firmly planted on the ground. At that point, his will power was nearly the same as his human limitations. Being born with a strong will was the only blessing that fate had ever given him.
Professor Glast fended off Clevius' swordsmanship, sending him flying back with wave magic. In the gap where he was occupied, Elvira managed to land an attack of elementary magic into Glast's abdomen, though he quickly overcame it by gathering Celestial Magic Power.
However, Ziggs' wind magic was already striking him from behind. Some of it was blocked, but he couldn't completely avoid getting wounded. The area around his shoulder had gotten cut again.
With a smokescreen reagent being cracked open, in an instant everyone's view was covered. But Taylee's swordsmanship created a gale that instantly cleared it out of the way.
He tried to send Taylee, who was quickly approaching him, far away by using a magically engineered item—but all of a sudden, the Shock-Enhanced Wave Balls weren't working. Adele's obstruction magic had temporarily broken the magic power circuitry of that item.
With that being the case, he had then tried to restrain Taylee's movements by using beginner magic, but Taylee had already managed to use his sword to pierce through his abdomen.
"Hurkghk."
Once again, blood started to bubble from his mouth as he stumbled… Professor Glast tried to cast his Celestial Magic one more time.
But that time, his body's time didn't revert back.
The flow of magic power had overloaded to its limit, preventing him from performing any more miracles.
"Eughk…"
Taylee, who pulled out his sword, used his swordsmanship to strike him down again.
Professor Glast couldn't stop that one.
Of course, he had thought that his wound would have been healed and the battle would continue on. But that fatal wound was never reversed.
Vigorously bleeding out and stumbling, Professor Glast slowly moved back.
"Eugh, ughk."
Taylee and his party all eased their stances, ready for combat. Just in case there was a chance he may be acting, they were still prepared to land one additional strike to end it all.
However, all the magic that Professor Glast had manifested was lifted and the spirits, which were constantly keeping that back row in check, were soon recalled, disappearing into the air.
"Keughhhh..."
There was a sound that was like wind leaking through his backed up, bloody phlegm. Professor Glast, who continued to back away, was now pushed up to the edge of the rooftop of the tower of magic power.
The wind up in the sky tickled his blood-stained cheeks.
The top of the tower, where the entire flow of magic power had disappeared, soon began to shake little by little. It was a sign of its collapse.
Finally, Professor Glast let out a self-ridiculing smile…
"Alright. You win."
Gently closing his eyes before opening them again.
He opened his arms out wide, as if he was beckoning the starry night sky into a hug. The only thing that lay in his arms was the cold night air, but he couldn't stop smiling. It didn't feel all too bad.
What was that feeling…? As expected, it was just his own self-deprecation.
In the end, there was only one last thought he had. It was exactly as one would expect.
"I miss you… Myuri…"
Was that his dying wish? Or was it a lingering feeling?
Pulling out the last bit of his remaining magic power, he slowly let go of the strength from his body.
Behind his back was an endless cliff.
Glast's body briefly floated up through the cold night air.
-x-X-x-
"We have to go straight in this direction. It will probably be there if we walk just a bit more, right?"
"Hmm~ As we go further and further, it's starting to turn into a dark and remote path."
Lortel had done all in her power to tie down Elte, keeping him in check.
I had told her that she could go back to the store and take care of any business she had left, but… she ended up following right behind us.
As usual, for some reason she seemed a bit uneasy, but… this time it was directed at someone else.
Unlike her usually fiery glare at Yennekar, right now Lortel was staring at Lucy strangely.
I didn't know why, but she seemed very uneasy about Lucy sticking right next to me and holding onto my sleeve… Lortel was even making every effort she could to not go back to the store. Well, even if Elte were to escape now, he wouldn't have any of his mercenaries to assist him. There was no need to be overly anxious, as he wouldn't even manage to make it off the island because he would just end up getting caught again.
Yennekar kept guiding us through the path with a face that, for some reason, was in nirvana.
A high-ranking spirit found a Celestial Magic Circle in the northern forest. Right then, we didn't know of a way to get rid of it and we didn't even know its use in the first place. First, we were just heading on over to the magic circle to inspect it. Even after monitoring it for a few days, there wasn't any sort of reaction, so the spirits decided that it wasn't too dangerous.
In the first place, to build up ten or so of those towers of magic power, you would need to draw those Celestial Magic Circles all across the academy grounds. I didn't really care about the fact that it was a magic circle that was clearly pre-arranged by Professor Glast, but… The problem was, not a single tower of magic power rose from inside of the northern forest.
If it was a magic circle with a purpose other than constructing a tower of magic power… I started to think that Professor Glast might have had other intentions.
Looking up at the sky, the towers of magic power were full of cracks as they collapsed.
Now that the Glast Subjugation was over, Taylee and his party should have been in the final scene, rescuing Ayla and escaping from the tower of magic power.
There was no need for me to try and dig up whatever else Glast might have been hiding, but being thorough about such things never hurt…
I continued to follow Yennekar, leading the way into the northern forest until we reached the spot… It wasn't that big but, judging by its shape and the way it was drawn, it was definitely a Celestial Magic Circle.
"There are signs that it was activated recently. I guess the spirits were so distracted with the commotion going on within the academy that they didn't have time to check on it."
Yennekar said that while she started looking around the vicinity of the magic circle. But no matter how hard she tried, there were too many incomprehensible parts of the Celestial Magic Circle that weren't easy to figure out.
"This… It's movement-related magic. By using Celestial Magic Power, this greatly maximizes one's magic power efficiency. With this much, using one's magic power is even more efficient than using a spirit's. It's particularly beneficial to activate when escaping a crisis."
Surprisingly, Lucy was the one that explained it all in a calm tone.
Looking at Lucy, who was still holding onto my sleeve, I tilted my head.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
She then started to groan, yawning loudly.
While she did that… I was going to ask her to let go of my collar so I could slowly ask her what she was so upset about, when suddenly—
"There's a bloodstain."
Yennekar found a strange trace.
The thick bloodstains that came from the center of the magic circle stretched out towards the outskirts of the forest.
Those were the traces of someone seriously injured walking away from the movement-related magic circle and heading further into the forest.
We looked at each other as we all nodded in unison.
As for who was responsible for the magic circle with Celestial Magic engraved into it, there was no need to say it.
Closing my eyes, I thought of the final scene in the final chapter of Act 2.
Professor Glast's final attempt at doing what he should never do, reviving an extraordinary person that could fulfill his ideals regarding the advancement of the world.
Being covered in wounds and leaving an unknown will that no one knew, even at the very end, that was his last appearance in the storyline. I thought that was the end of Professor Glast, but he actually ended up finding a way to escape using such a method.
While pretending to jump, did he actually escape using Celestial Magic with the last bit of magic power that remained in the air? It was a smart decision, considering that if he had just run away, they would just chase after him until they caught up.
I wondered if he was really going to try and run away to cause more chaos, but… considering that he didn't do much after the fact in the original storyline, there shouldn't have been much of a reason for me to get personally involved and do something about it… But either way, at the very least I thought I should check it out…
Worrying about such things, I followed the blood trail. And at the very end there was Professor Glast. I also thought I knew the reason that he didn't do anything major after the battle.
Under the bright moon, late into the night, Professor Glast sat under an old tree and quietly exhaled… He was already on the verge of death.
***
A torn faculty robe. Blood-stained hair. A haggard impression. His dark red blood seeping into the dirt around him.
The injuries on his body… The level of it was more than a simple cut, he had been stabbed. Even if we acted in a hurry to try and escort him away, his fate was already sealed. Although he is stopping the bleeding somewhat with the little magic power he had left, no one couldn't honestly expect it to do anything other than extend his life just a little bit more.
"Oh?"
Professor Glast raised his lips with interest as his voice left his blood-filled throat.
"It should already be curfew at the dorms. What are you students doing here?"
"How can you say something like that in this situation?"
Yennekar's eyes were trembling as she covered her mouth with her hands. Lortel looked calm at first glance, but even her eyes were also looking away. Of course, Lucy didn't seem to have any particular thoughts at all. Though, she never once let go of my sleeve.
Yennekar asked in a trembling voice.
"Here… What…?"
"I was just looking up at the moon."
The shade of the large tree kept the surrounding greenery out of the sunlight.
Around that large tree, it was completely empty, with no other trees or bushes at all.
Maybe that was why you could see the sky clearly when you looked up through the leaves.
"You set up this escape route beforehand, but you still fought until this point?"
"Hmm… I tried to do as much as I could and only escape if it didn't work out, but it didn't work out the way I wanted it to. That was why I ended up fighting until I ultimately ended up like this… As expected, it's impossible to fully know what another person can do."
Professor Glast's body had become a complete wreck as he quietly lowered his gaze and smirked.
"What? What's so funny?"
"Nothing. There's nothing funny."
"That's strange. I think my appearance would be quite funny, though."
Professor Glast looked back up at the night sky and continued to speak in a self-deprecating tone.
"That man… He must have already known about my plan, in some way or another. He must have known that it was all going to end up like this. I guess, no matter how you looked at it, this was all too reckless. I never thought that I would be defeated by a group of students…"
"You say he knew. Who are you talking about?"
"I wonder."
Professor Glast's answer was rather vague, but it was enough for me to fully understand.
At Trix Hall, looking over the entire education district, the academy's highest executive—Headmaster Obel Forsyth. It was like he saw his back right in front of him.
Professor Glast sighed a little, seeing my expression. He seemed to have realized that I was able to figure out at least a little of it as he spoke in a candid tone.
"I've spent decades working here at Silvenia, but in the end I won't be able to get a bit of my severance pay… Maybe I could have used it to have him turn a blind eye and forget what happened."
"I don't think that's the right thing to do. I'm not in a position to argue about what others do, but…"
"Well, Principal Obel and I have known each other for a long time… This is a matter that is strictly between the two of us. Even if that were the case, if I ended up crossing the line, he would have personally come to stop me. He's a man filled with useless compassion. He's not cut out to be the academy's headmaster."
Obel, who had been the headmaster since Glast was a new professor… If he had seen Glast coming to his end just like this, what would he think…? I hadn't a clue.
Nor did I feel inclined to question him anymore, seeing Glast covered in a pool of his own blood.
"Even though I took advantage of Headmaster Obel's hesitation, strangely enough I don't feel a sense of guilt."
"Isn't it because the situation has ended up like this?"
"You're right. That's an accurate point, Ed Rothstaylor."
Glast continued to speak in his mischievous tone, as he always did when answering questions from the students in his class.
"As expected, you're more of an outstanding student than I had originally thought. I discovered you too late, which is unlike me."
"…Why did you kidnap me in the first place? I didn't really fit into your plan, did I?"
There may have been both big and small variables, but ultimately the story's progression went as expected.
I mean, if he didn't kidnap me in the first place, would his plans have changed in any way at all?
"There wasn't any time. Because the Resonance Transferal was taking place soon and I had piles of work to take care of, there wasn't enough time to win you over to my side. That's why I didn't have much of a choice besides taking a more violent approach to it."
"…What do you mean?"
"I sent you a letter once, but I believe you didn't respond to it because you had overworked yourself?"
On the day I received the letters from Princess Penia and Lortel, there was definitely a letter that came from the academy. Specifically, from Professor Glast.
In the end, because I fainted due to my ridiculously rigorous lifestyle there wasn't a chance for me to make any time to talk with Professor Glast.
"I also had a hunch… Once this is finished, whether or not I succeeded or failed, I wouldn't be able to step foot back into this academy anymore."
He raised up his blood-stained hand and struggled putting it close to his chest.
And then, with that hand that was about to lose all of its strength… He took out a key that was covered in blood.
"I'm afraid that, no matter what, I can't give the Seal's resonance over to you. I left the seal back there, so it'll probably end up back in the hands of the academy. Well, I guess that is something that can't be helped. In the first place, you were the one who escaped first."
"So that key is…"
"It looks like you did something useless, grabbing all those fancy things from the Soul Library that I built."
Professor Glast gathered his last bit of strength, flicking the key into the patch of grass in front of him.
"Did you really think that those few Legendary Grade production formulas were the most valuable items in the library?"
"Are you telling me that there was something else?"
"There's a secret safe underneath the desk that the Banshee Reina is guarding. Take your time and open it up later. The library is now yours, anyway. Even though you went on that rampage, it should still be fine. Though, you'll have to clean it up with your own hands since it was your own fault."
I looked at Professor Glast with wide eyes.
Professor Glast's secret laboratory was an unofficial facility that wasn't known even amongst the academy faculty. Well, it was mostly made up of monster labs in the first place, so there wasn't much research there that would benefit me… But it was a completely different story if we were talking about the Soul Library.
Lucy even made a hole in the forest that went directly inside. If I set up a ladder and kept the hole well hidden, then it could become a secret hideout or storage space that I could enter whenever I wanted.
Wait, it was a facility with a large number of magically engineered items and production formulas. If I slowly started to restore the place, did that mean I could make it completely my own?
"Once the academy finishes their investigation, it's yours."
Lucy's explosive behavior ended up becoming a benefit. As for what was buried in that semi-destroyed library… the academy's faculty wouldn't have any idea.
Slowly stepping in front of Professor Glast… I carefully picked up the key.
"Why… are you giving this to me…?"
"Are you unhappy that I'm giving it to you?"
"Aren't you the type to put more value on students with talent?"
Professor Glast smiled bitterly at my response.
"Here in Silvenia, the number of students with talent is overflowing."
He ended up saying something that I thought would never come out of his mouth.
"At this rate, I thought I might get in trouble because of my dead daughter."
"..."
"Yeah. After all, I did live a life where I ended up changing quite a bit. When I was young, I preached to others about my romantic beliefs, telling them not to judge the value of a student by their talent or abilities. Even though it happened a long time ago, I still get goosebumps thinking back on it now."
Wiping away the blood pouring from him, Professor Glast started to deprecate himself again.
"However, I wasn't wrong. At least, I was sure of that when my daughter was alive."
I thought he would be cold bleeding out, but instead he was rather warm.
Having uttered such a snarky remake, Professor Glast relaxed his body.
"But even then… The seventeen years I spent with my daughter weren't all that bad…"
"She was seventeen years old?"
"Yeah. Seventeen years… If you think that's long, then it is… but if you think that's short, it's short…"
After saying that, Professor Glast started to cough up blood. Yennekar trembled in shock, but… she couldn't say anything.
Even his magic power, which was stopping him from coughing up blood, had run out. In the first place, his physical condition wasn't one that would just get better if that was all he did. He completely overused Celestial Magic Power, and his body was at its limit.
I was sure that he didn't have much energy left to continue talking. While all of that was happening, the sight of the corner of his lips moving down was getting more noticeable.
He coughed up blood a few more times before forcing a grin on his face.
"If you think it's a sin for me to die lonely like this, then it's not a bad exchange for the crime I've committed."
Professor Glast gently closed his eyes.
Sitting under the zelkova tree, with no one around him, he slowly reflected on his life.
No matter what, the fact remained that he was the one who took a student's life as collateral. No one could deny the fact that he had gone off the rails, after all.
"I met with Assistant Professor Cleoh. She grumbled about things, but she finally acknowledged you, Professor Glast. I was surprised to see her crying, claiming that you were the most scholarly person there was."
Maybe because he no longer had the energy left to answer, Professor Glast didn't respond.
"Don't you have a long relationship with Assistant Professor Cleoh? Four years while she attended this academy. Five years while she studied teaching. Professor, if you had been here until you retired, then you would have also known her for seventeen years."
"..."
The moon shone down through the leaves of the zelkova tree.
"Seventeen years… If you think that's long, then it's long… but if you think that's short, then it's short…"
Professor Glast opened his eyes when he heard those words.
He tried to raise his voice to say something else, but… he no longer had the energy left to do so.
He mocked himself as he died in solitude, but that was only the case because his vision was so narrow.
Glast didn't have to think that he was lonely. His death… it wouldn't be a cold one, where no one would grieve.
In the first place, a human's field of view wasn't very wide. If you kept walking ahead while looking back, you'd never know what was right next to you.
Even a prestigious scholar that had read numerous books regarding the field of magic still didn't know the inside of a person. That remained the same, even if it was about his own heart.
Barely holding up the weight of his increasingly heavy eyelids, the last person that entered his line of sight was Lucy.
Just what kind of expression did Lucy have as she looked at him, holding my arm so tightly?
Unfortunately, I couldn't see it.
"Alright… that's wise…"
Saying that, Glast closed his eyes, as if he was falling asleep. I could infer what had happened just from that.
The curtain of Act 2 had fallen.
The world was slowly falling asleep.
Seeing the moonlight fall through the zelkova tree where he was peacefully lying…
At first glance, it looked as if he were sleeping soundly.
For a while all of us stood there staring.
-x-X-x-
There was no such thing as an epilogue.
Lortel kept repeating that while staring off blankly into space.
Just as scheduled, the Elte Company was able to finish purchasing the Sage's Seal. The seal was almost lost in the middle of the transaction, but thanks to Professor Glast being subdued faster than they thought, the condition of it was still good.
After the entire negotiation, it was simply dismissed as an incident.
"..."
Lortel Kehelland sighed deeply as she sat down in the sitting room of the store.
Finally, the Seal was officially owned by Lortel and was now floating on top of her desk. The process of the Resonance Transferal had also been fully completed, with Lortel now the Seal's formal Resonance Owner.
"Definitely… The feeling from the magic power resonance itself is extremely amazing."
There was not a grain of knowledge that was known about Celestial Magic that wasn't within the Seal.
Though, the benefit of Lortel becoming the resonance owner of the Seal was nothing more than a small increase in magic power resonance. Other than that, she could cast bigger magic, appropriate to the increased mana capacity inherent in the book. Without being someone like Professor Glast, who was well-versed in all kinds of magic, it didn't have much meaning.
In the first place, it was just a product she had bought to sell again later, so it didn't mean much. She wasn't the type to prefer investing in high-risk products such as that, where a lot of money was on the line, but…
"Anything… Hm…. Anything…"
Ed Rothstaylor might have forgotten already, but she had still gotten her hands on the Seal. Lortel was in a position where she could ask Ed for anything.
In the first place, it was just a Seal she was going to sell, but… Given the opportunity cost and the risk of having that much money on the line, it wasn't like Lortel invested in just anything.
"By the way, is it really okay to sell it back to that person, Krepin?"
Seeing Ed's expression, it seemed as if he never wanted to let the Seal fall into Krepin's hands. Lortel felt a sense of uncertainty in her heart that the deal wouldn't proceed as planned.
"..."
Suddenly Lortel swallowed her dried saliva.
In recent days she ended up spending a lot more time thinking about Ed. That was not a very good state to be in.
On one side of Lortel's desk were all the Production Formulas that Ed had handed her, requesting the necessary materials. The contract had been drafted, but it was difficult from a company's standpoint to see any significant benefit in doing so.
Slowly, Lortel began to feel a bit more serious.
She thought the time had come to finally distinguish between her public and private matters.
Her hunger for companionship.
Lortel has been making sure to walk the line her entire life, but she was now sure that she was crossing over that line these days.
Lortel Kehelland was born with the qualities of an extraordinary businesswoman. Always weighing profit with a cool head, and those cold eyes of hers that never seemed to warm.
"Alright… I also need to be a little stricter with him…"
Lortel glanced away as she looked towards the contract that was to be signed with Ed.
"…But I'll just do this."
Disregarding her motto, where things that should be done today shouldn't be postponed until tomorrow, Lortel once again delayed that resolution. What a regrettable choice that was.
"However, that's that…"
In any case, there was nothing else to worry about in terms of the business growth, and she had finished all of the paperwork that she needed to review that day… All that was left was to worry about that battlefield of love.
Yennekar Palerover, who was like a flower bed, seemed to be feeling no sense of crisis at all. But Lortel, who was quick to grasp the situation and always remained cool-headed, was already starting to feel a strange sense of danger.
She'd been thinking pretty deeply and seriously about that lazy magician, who had recently been spending more and more time sticking to Ed Rothstaylor… But even then, that girl still probably wouldn't show off her girly side.
After thinking about it over and over again, she had finally come to that conclusion… But even still, that uneasiness in her heart didn't go away.
The sense of uneasiness that came from the off chance that, if a certain opportunity presented itself, that relationship might change.
But… What would be the reason to make that lazy girl make her move? Despite the shock of Professor Glast's death, the girl still jumped around the academy rooftops with those sleepy eyes of hers as if nothing had happened. Even that event didn't trigger anything.
The decisive moment always came without any prior notice, but… Regardless of that, there was no way a chance that would make a girl like Lucy make her move would come around easily.
Even if she really wanted to convince herself of that fact… Whether it was actually the truth or just a means to rationalize the situation and reassure herself, she still hadn't figured that out.
That was just how a person's heart was. It wasn't often that there was a clean-cut conclusion.
***
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 12
Intelligence: 11
Dexterity: 13
Willpower: 12
Luck: 9
Combat Skills Details ➤
Magic Skills Details ➤
Life Skills Details ➤
Alchemy Skills Details ➤ ]
"You were at the scene of the accident once again, Ed Rothstaylor."
The head dean, McDowell.
Unlike his weak mentality, his outer appearance looked strong. He had a shaggy beard around his chin and the monocle he was wearing was worn out.
In Silveria Academy, after Obel and Rachel he was the next highest person in power… He was the one in charge of most things that took place inside the academy and the one that made the final decision for anything related to academic affairs.
"I can't believe you were caught up during the Glasskan incident, the Occupation of Ophelis Hall incident, and now even the theft of the Sage's Seal incident. You seem to have very awful luck."
My name was attached as the person involved with every single major incident that had taken place at the academy over the past year.
It was only natural that I would look suspicious, but right now there wasn't any evidence to prove that I did anything.
In this case, I was a victim that was nearly in grave danger after being kidnapped by Professor Glast.
There was no reason for me to be intimated, but there was also no reason for me to be high-spirited.
"That is correct."
"I've been briefed on the general situation, but could you explain it again in more detail to me?"
"Actually, there's nothing more to say other than what has already been reported. I don't know the reason, but I was kidnapped by Professor Glast. I had an opportunity to escape, so I ran out and attempted to ask for help. In the process, I ran into Taylee and his party."
There was no need to talk about Elte and his mercenaries, who took advantage of the chaos and entered Acken Island from the cliffside. Or the situation regarding the fact that Professor Glast had passed away in the northern forest.
"That's everything. Yennekar and Lortel urgently came to save me, but that's it."
"…About that other girl, Ayla, who was also kidnapped alongside you. Did you escape without her?"
"Ayla was in a state where she couldn't move, and she didn't completely trust me. I went out alone to ask for help. In the process, I met Taylee and told him about it."
"..."
Dean McDowell listened to me with his eyes shut.
There was something strange about it all, but the words that I said made sense. Comparing it to what had been reported before, there were no contradictions.
It wasn't like he was looking at me with suspicion. Rather, it was more like an observer that was closely listening to every detail of the story.
But the reason I couldn't feel relieved until the very end was because it couldn't just be a coincidence that I had my foot stuck in every single important incident that took place.
Sitting on the sofa across from him in the counseling room, simply speaking frankly about my situation is not enough to dispel all of his suspicions.
However, without any evidence there was a limit to how much suspicion he could have of me. My stance in the incident was clearly the victim, and no matter what anyone else said, Professor Glast's defiant actions were caused solely by the academy's poor management.
Ultimately, it was obvious what Dean McDowell would say.
"You went through a lot. Being a student that was a victim of the academy's mishaps, we should do something for you. I'm sure you also went through a lot of physiological damage as well. Personally, I thought it over quite a bit."
Dean McDowell reviewed all the documents that were spread out among his desk again. My academy registry, the evaluations written by the professors in charge of me, and summarizations of other miscellaneous personal records and history on me.
"Speaking honestly, I have my suspicions about you."
That was Dean McDowell's style. When all of the fundamental issues had been sorted out to some extent and he was convinced that there wasn't a point in discussing any further, he would suddenly speak of what was in his heart.
The same was true back at the start of the first semester, when he had called me in for that face-to-face talk. He had finally admitted that he had no intention of expelling me from the academy.
"You live like a third party that doesn't know of anything, but it feels like you know a lot."
"I'm honored that you gave me such an evaluation."
"The same goes for that sly behavior of yours."
Dean McDowell closed his eyes gently, opening them again.
He was the one that made the final decisions within the academy's administration. But no matter how much that might have been the case, he couldn't get out of the middleman's shoes in the end.
Although he had risen to a high position, he was still someone who only acted under the headmaster and deputy headmaster.
Whenever he finally reached the limits of his given position, he always fell back onto his principles and rules.
"But… that would just be my own personal suspicions. No matter what anyone says, you're still just a student that has been a victim due to a failure on the part of the academy. That was the case during the Occupation of Ophelis Hall and now."
"..."
"There's no evidence proving anything even when I looked into your academy life. You quietly concentrate on your classes, the assistant professors and other faculty members all give you high praise as an honor student, and unlike before—when people only had bad things to say about you—you now receive many positive comments from others."
McDowell flipped through the papers before putting them back on top of the table.
"There is a pretty large improvement in your grades, and it has already been quite some time since your incident at the entrance examination, so there's no reason to keep holding you responsible for that anymore. Not only that, but now from the academy's perspective it seems that we now owe you some sort of favor."
Having said that, Dean McDowell finally admitted in a benevolent tone.
"You've really worked hard, Ed Rothstaylor. I can't help but admit that fact."
"..."
"The academy doesn't want to just neglect a student like yourself anymore. You are a student that must be rewarded."
Surprisingly, there was no suspicion or hostility in the eyes of Dean McDowell, who was looking at me. Rather, as a dean speaking to a student, he uttered words that were close to what was appropriate of him.
"You will be able to obtain permission to live in Lorail Hall Dormitory. Naturally, you won't have to pay a dormitory fee either. However, right now there currently isn't an open room left in Lorail Hall, so you will have to stay in Dex Hall until next semester."
I wasn't sure how much he knew about the way I'd been living up until now, but it seemed that Dean McDowell had made some guesses about it.
"Stop wandering around and living your miserable lifestyle. Go back to your life as a normal student. You've earned that right."
***
Leaving the head dean's office, I walked across the hallway. In a corner of the lobby, sitting down on a bench with her feet stretched out as she looked up at the ceiling, Yennekar called out to me.
"Ah, Ed! You came out! How was it? Was it okay? He wasn't mad at you, right? He didn't scold you in any way, right?"
"I'm the victim, so why would he scold me?"
"Hmm. I guess that's true."
Even the tallest of the towers of magic power had collapsed as the clear autumn sky's beauty revealed itself again.
It had been less than a full day since that incident occurred, so all the academy's faculty were still busy. Given how busy they were, investigating the situation and repairing any damages, all morning classes had been canceled.
They were nearly finished settling everything that had happened after working throughout the night, and it seemed that it would be the last time I would hear about the incident, which I was already sick and tired of.
I hadn't had the chance to properly wash my body yet, let alone clean my clothes, so I looked like a complete mess.
Yennekar felt uncomfortable seeing me in such a state. She let out a deep sigh.
"You've done a great job, Ed. Just what was the deal with this whole incident? I'm upset just thinking about it."
Seeing Yennekar say that to me, I couldn't help but think, Is this really the time to be worrying about others?
Her clothes were stained, and her hair was sticking out in a complete mess. Seeing Yennekar worry about others made her look rather brazen.
To put it bluntly, Yennekar's comment was just from her anxiety. It was hard to say that was a particularly helpful one to make.
Didn't Lucy dominate the entire battle against Elte all by herself? It was a very precarious position when you realized that if even just the slightest thing had gone wrong, she might have ended up blocking Taylee's way.
However, Yennekar rushed down to those dreary Underground Waterways with the determination to save me.
Seeing her smile and say 'at least you didn't get hurt'… How could anyone in the world ever blame her for doing such a useless thing? Actually, I was the one who had made her worry.
"I'm sorry. It seems that I always make you worry about me, Yennekar. Were you hurt anywhere? I heard that you also had to fight a bit, so I'm a bit worried."
"Worried?! What are you worried about?! I'm completely fine, don't worry at all! Alright? Hm?!"
Saying that, she quickly stood up and flapped her arms around, her ears perked up like she was listening to something again.
Her spirits always seem to be whispering something to her, but seeing that they might be right in front of me gossiping behind my back, I didn't feel all that great about it.
Well, I was sure those guys had their own reasons, so I wasn't going to say anything about it.
"Hmm… You're right! Actually, it might not be the case that I got away completely unhurt. Should I say I'm a bit sore inside? I think I got hurt while saving you, Ed. So… I think you owe me something! Yeah! Owwww! It hurts!"
"You got hurt?"
It felt as if I was naturally and reactively starting to frown.
Yennekar was the only person in Silvenia that I could call a friend. I had also built up all sorts of personal debts towards her over time, as well.
I had only asked her out of courtesy because I was confident that she was a person that wouldn't have been hurt so easily. That was because Yennekar was really strong.
"Wh-Where did you get hurt? Specifically?"
"U-Uhm…? M-My waist? A sprain? Something like that?"
"..."
I felt my expression slowly turning sour. Before I knew it, I was taking Yennekar's kindness for granted.
I was also a person, even though I didn't have many friends. It would be a lie to say that Yennekar, who I had endured the hardest of times with, wouldn't want me to pay her back when I owed her a debt.
"Yennekar. There's something that I thought about after all of this."
"H-Hm?"
Yennekar's eyes darted around, flustered by the sudden seriousness in my voice.
It seemed she thought something bad was happening, although that wasn't the case. In a way, it was something that I had to do.
"Didn't you also think of it after hearing Professor Glast's last words? It's too late to regret something after losing it. Come to think of it, every time an incident like this happens, you work hard and go through so much, and I think I ended up taking that for granted. I can't believe that you even got hurt this time around…"
"…U-Uhm? Y-Yeah."
As I sat next to Yennekar, I sighed deeply and wiped my face.
"I certainly feel a sense of shame from all of this. I feel like I've been a burden to you. I'm thankful for you always treating me kindly, but in the end you are the one who always seems to suffer, Yennekar."
"Uh… Oh… Hm?"
"Anyway, I'll take responsibility for all of your injuries. Later, you should go to the academy's medical center. You're already struggling to handle the cost of living now that you've been cut off from the scholarship, but I feel awful and so sorry that I'm making you pay such unnecessary expenses. Make sure to tell me when you find out how much the treatment costs. I'll pay for it. I at least have that much money."
"Hmm? Uhm? Huh?"
I didn't hide a bit of my guilt. It was polite to say things just as they were.
So, I sincerely apologized to Yennekar.
"I'm sorry, Yennekar. Because of me, you have suffered every time."
"I'm sorry! I lied! Actually, I don't have a single injury! I'm really sorry! I'm so sorry for lying to you!"
***
It felt like a long time had passed since I had last walked through the northern forest.
Since I'd been walking in and out of camp every day, I never thought I would ever feel so out of place walking that path again.
Well, I had been going through a lot lately.
I continued walking down the path with frosted breath. It was about the time when you could start to see your breath leaving your mouth.
"For one reason or another, I might start living in Dex Hall from this break or next semester."
As I said that, Yennekar's face visibly lit up.
"Really? Dex Hall? I'm at Dex Hall too! Are you really going to Dex Hall?! Oh! That's great! So… Uhm… Well, I am also at Dex Hall, and… Anyway, you did great, Ed! Now you can leave that difficult environment you've been living in. Yeah!"
"I'm so, so, so glad to hear that! Now we can see each other more often! If you get access to Dex Hall, then… If you get an assignment for class, we can study together in the study room…! Yeah! It will be easier for me to teach you about things related to Spiritual Resonance as well…! So… Your studying environment will become even better! Yeah! It's about your studying environment! Nothing else, just that!"
It was like I was being blinded by seeing her jumping around excitedly with that bright smile of hers. She was so happy, as if it was something that had happened to her. Tears of joy even started to flow out… As expected, she really was the idol of our academy with that sympathy of hers.
I cleared my mind as I walked through the grass.
A lot had happened, but it all finished in an instant.
By tomorrow, I'd be able to go back to my studies once I checked in on how the situation has completed and I gave one last testimony.
Once I made sure that Taylee and Ayla had escaped from the tower of magic power without any issues, I'd be able to know that Act 2 has finished cleanly for sure.
I took out a key, stained with dried blood, and I took a look at it.
Professor Glast's body was carried away by a clergyman from Telos. That was because, I believe, his wife was a devout follower of the Telos religious group.
Once the funeral procession was complete, he would be buried back in his homeland.
Since you couldn't put blame on the dead, that was how this incident would come to an end.
Originally, he might have been honored with the blessings of a saint of the church as a great scholar that had passed away… But now, he would have to be satisfied with just that much.
But at least it wasn't that lonely of a life… I could at least say that was a relief.
Professor Glast's secret laboratory seemed to have been concluded as tentatively being closed. I was told that the academy's faculty had explored the inside of it but found no particular peculiarities.
Even the Soul Library, which was buried in debris, looked just like a ruin… so they hadn't seemed to have any thought of using it. I never thought I'd be grateful to Lucy for completely destroying the entire thing.
In the first place, the incident itself was a major disgrace from the academy's point of view. Because of that, they wanted to finish it as soon as possible.
As a result, once the academy's interest in all of it was gone, then the entire contents of that library would be mine.
I was happy, but… there was no way I could only feel happy. It was only natural that I would also feel a bit of sadness over it all.
As I continued walking and thinking of such things, before I knew it I had reached the camp.
Whiff.
I didn't know when, but at some point that place had become something like my hometown.
The wooden shelter that was built in a hurry when I first ended up there, the cabin I built up over summer break, all of those survival tools, the campfire, the piles of logs and tree stumps around it that I used as chairs…
The leftover net was hung from the ceiling and tied up, acting somewhat like a hammock. The firewood for the upcoming winter was also piled up well off to one side of the timber storage.
"Phew…"
Apparently, another uninvited guest had come by. A petite magician with a large witch hat was lying down on a tree stump, breathing out her tiny breaths.
She was a girl that I didn't find strange to see appearing out of nowhere… Though, it did feel weird to see her recognizing this camp as her own personal nap spot.
It was still my camp, right??
Tiredly, I walked over to the cabin's door. Things I had made myself and other furniture that was sent by Lortel were packed inside.
Looking at the interior of the cabin, which was now nice with a cozy little fireplace, I felt quite satisfied.
I grabbed a wooden chair and brought it next to the campfire. I leaned back in it, as if I were falling backwards.
It was still daytime, but since I felt a bit chilly I used Ignite to start the campfire. I threw in some firewood and scattered it around.
Tweet, Tweet.
Trickle.
Zzz….Zzzz….
I closed my eyes as I started to rest. It was difficult and arduous, but somehow I managed to build the camp with my own hands.
The chirping of the sparrows, the flowing water down by the river, and Lucy's light breathing tickled my ears.
I had a lot of work I needed to do. I needed to wash my clothes, check on my food supply, review my studies in preparation for the final exams—which would start in two weeks. It was also about time I started thinking over how to deal with next semester's tuition.
How much more was there? There was still a lot left of the storyline that remained. During the vacation, there would be another class assignment test for the incoming first years. There was also the next student presidential election, and various other events that would take place to benefit Taylee's Swordmaster Skills.
Nevertheless… All I wanted to do was rest.
I closed my eyes, getting swallowed up by the relaxing sounds of nature as I started to imagine my new life after I entered Dex Hall.
Most of the infamous rumors about me had died down, but I was sure there were still a few students that had a negative perception of me. With that, I'd just have to try and clear up the misunderstandings.
I wouldn't have to live every day busily hunting for food, as I will now be able to go to the student cafeteria where the meals were prepared for me. I could also take my time as I slowly walked over to the education district.
I could completely focus on my studies and just check in on the storyline's characters every once in a while. While checking in to make sure the story was progressing smoothly, I could live a peaceful life.
How was my life living in the camp?
It was literally nothing but a pain in the ass, but… Looking back on it, it had become much more stable and rather relaxing.
One of the reasons was because I had finished building the cabin with my own hands, and the food supply had stabilized to some extent.
I also had a bit of extra money, so I could buy items and use it in emergencies. It didn't feel like I was going through that much of a hard time compared to what I had thought.
In the first place, when I first moved in at the start of the first semester, I didn't know anything. Nowadays, I seemed to have adapted well to dealing with everything.
Additionally, while I was stuck in the camp I could live a relatively free life within the academy's schedule. And if necessary, I could do whatever I wanted late at night. That environment was more suitable for production, cooking, and vitality training.
Personally, I had wanted to build a fence that would surround everything, grow some food that could survive the whole year, and reinforce the cabin a bit more. Those were all plans that I had made thinking I would need to survive in the forest for a lot longer.
But I also feel a bit empty?
That was what I had thought, but I also remembered just how important it was to live in a stable and safe environment. Whether it was food or housing, you only realized it was important once it was gone.
Living in Dex Hall, with its thick walls and ceilings along with my classmates, it could have been a romantic type of life.
Of course… I also wouldn't have to worry about anything
"As I thought, is it really the right choice to enter Dex Hall…?"
I slowly let the words come out of my mouth.
"Then, does that mean this is the end of my life here at the camp…?"
Fwoosh
Thud!
As soon as I said those words, a thud was heard. It came from Lucy, who was on the roof raising up her upper body.
"Hm?"
I turned my head towards Lucy, who I had thought was in the middle of a deep sleep… She stared straight at me with her eyes wide.
She looked as if she had misheard something, a somewhat suspicious expression on her face.
I had no choice but to tilt my head and ask her what was wrong.