The formal academic conference was a more ceremonious and large-scale conference when compared to the usual one.
The number of attendees themselves weren't much different than the usual conference, except for the fact that the attendees were of one level higher.
While the usual conference would gather full-time professors, assistant professors, and academic staff to discuss general school related topics, the formal academic conference focused more on the bigger operation as a whole.
But the biggest difference was that the Headmaster Obel Forsyth himself would attend.
An event to check the individual academic progress within each department, discuss and voice opinions regarding student curriculum and management, and make decisions regarding important subjects.
In fact, it was a chance for senior professors and administrative professors to prove their work skills. So regardless of how experienced a professor might be, they made sure to always be thoroughly prepared.
Winter vacation was coming to an end. As everyone was busy getting the readings done for the upcoming semester, it was important to hold regular meetings to ensure the direction and policies in regard to the school's education.
Which was why it was made up of senior professors… A meeting in which every single seat had to be given to upper professors.
Thus, it was unusual to see Cleoh Elpin, who was still just an assistant professor, mixed in as a member of the conference.
"This was the results of the class assignment examination."
Right in the middle, when Head Dean McDowell was delivering the overall test results to Headmaster Obel.
Obel looked through the results of the class assignments for each department when he suddenly stopped, tilting his head for a moment.
"This year's magic department… There's not a single student in Class A…? The person in charge was… The assistant professor Cleoh…"
Cleoh, who was trying to hide herself in a corner, was trembling when Obel personally called out her name.
Usually, there would be no reason for her to attend such a conference in her position. However, due to taking over Professor Glast's work, there wasn't much of a choice.
All of the senior professors there were sitting still in their seats, leaning over looking at her intimidatingly. She never expected for him to call out her name personally.
"Doesn't everyone say that you are Professor Glast's best pupil? I have high expectations for you."
"Th-Thank you…"
"I'm not really one to concern myself with the strict criteria chosen to select students, but… Still, I had no idea that not a single student would be accepted into Class A."
All the senior professors began to flip through the report that was handed out in advance. Cleoh had no idea she would be receiving that much attention.
In the first place, Professor Glast used to have extremely meticulous standards and there were also a few times that he didn't pick anyone for Class A. She thought that it wouldn't be an issue.
"As the headmaster, I feel like I should just check with the reason behind it before moving on. Was it because of the level of the freshmen students, or was it because of the more demanding test conditions…? I think I should at least know that much."
"That's…"
"Looking at the details of the exam… You had them go against their upperclassmen?"
All the attention was on her…!
Obel began to quickly read through and fully analyze Cleoh's report, which she had filled out in quite a rush.
"Hmm…"
"Oh my…"
"You even used a top student from the combat department…?"
The reactions of the senior professors, who were also reading her report, differed.
There was a lot of room for the contents of the report to be interpreted differently depending on the reader.
But more than anything, it seemed that the overall consensus was along the lines of, 'Isn't it too much to make them face off against the top student in the combat department, second year Clevius Nortondale?'
"The upperclassmen that helped do seem to be at a higher-than-average level… Which makes me think perhaps it might have been a bit too hard for the freshman to handle…"
Cleoh was secretly breaking out in a cold sweat as she tried to respond as confidently as she could.
A bright smile.
"I thought they should at least be able to handle this… if they wanted to prove they are qualified for Class A."
It was a rushed, made-up response, but if she backed down, she wouldn't live to see the light. Thus, Assistant Professor Cleoh spoke with the utmost confidence.
With that confident attitude… All the senior professors couldn't help but sit still and stay quiet.
"Hmm… Onyx Pelomier, Ed Rothstaylor, Anise Haylan, Clevius Nortondale…"
Obel looked over Cleoh's document as he read off the members of her lab, one by one… Then he closed his eyes, quietly nodding his head.
All the senior professors there looked over the list again, until the name of the members was stuck in their head.
Everyone there knew what it was.
Even the professors that didn't believe in superstitions no longer had a choice but to slowly acknowledge Assistant Professor Cleoh's luck when it came to the people around her. So much so that it was to the point that they were certain she must have done something in her previous life.
Others even thought that Cleoh's foolish appearance was nothing more than a farce. After all, she was born with the talent to select and manage amazing individuals around her.
Otherwise, none of it would make sense considering the amount of talent that always surrounded her.
She was able to become an assistant professor thanks to all the internationally famous scholars helping her, all of her close friends were famous and proven individuals, and even the students she was in charge of were rare, once-in-a-lifetime gemstones.
Cleoh was truly blessed by the gods when it came to her relationships and the people around her. Senior professors couldn't help but start to take interest whenever they saw new people hanging around Cleoh.
An example of that would be her assistant Anise, who every professor was drooling after trying to steal for their own labs.
As for the other new people around her… It was still hard to judge.
Seeing the way Cleoh was sitting strong in the hot seat with all eyes on her, yet still not willing to back down and voice her personal opinion strongly. It was clear that she was not just a naive and foolish person.
But behind that innocent-looking face of hers… It was hard to tell the full story yet. Just what kind of thoughts could possibly be going through her mind?
"I want to eat a tart…"
Trying to stop her stomach from growling, Assistant Professor Cleoh sat back down, silently not saying a word.
"Anyway, now the class assignments for the freshmen have been completed, and the new list of top students is also done… With this, we are nearly done with our preparations for the next semester."
The document Obel was given not only contained information about the freshmen, but also academic affairs and the overview of the entire school.
The most important thing, before the student council election, was… The list of all the top students.
1st Year
Combat Department: Wade Callamore
Magic Department: Joseph Whitefeld
Alchemy Department: Claude Vellasus
Overall Top Student: Wade Callamore
2nd Year
Combat Department: Clevius Nortondale
Magic Department: Lucy Mayreel
Alchemy Department: Elvira Aniston
Overall Top Student: Lucy Mayreel
3rd Year
Combat Department: Drake Laygus
MagicDepartment: Yennekar Palerover
Alchemy Department: Atalanta
OverallTop Student: Yennekar Palerover
4th Year
Combat Department: Daike Elpelan
Magic Department: Traycana Bloomriver
Alchemy Department: Dorothy Whitefeld
Overall Top Student: Daike Elpelan
The head professors in each department gathered together to discuss the top students in each department for each grade.
The student presidential election would be largely influenced by the students on the list and the importance they had within the school.
Thus, the position of student president at Silvenia Academy had major significance.
Originally, it would be absurd for a student representative to have authority equal to that of a faculty member. A student was still just a student, and there was no way they should be allowed to exercise their authority beyond that position.
However, in Silvenia Academy the structure of students was rather special.
It wasn't just the gathering of talented students in a variety of fields. Naturally, there were the commoners that can't say a word, as well as the aristocrats and children that come from power… It was a place where even one from the royal family or the saint could come and attend as a student.
The student council president was entrusted with the voices of all those students and responsible for upholding their position.
With the support of many students, that was how you became the student council president… A position where you could exercise a level of authority that a regular student could not.
It wasn'tt a position that was backed by just ten or twenty students, but easily over a hundred… From the school's point of view, it was a position that couldn't be simply dismissed.
The previous student council president Velos had no immediate issues, allowing him to handle things smoothly to maintain the status quo. He was able to create a rather comfortable atmosphere for the students. And as he held the position for two years, the school also didn't have any issues with the student body.
But now that he had graduated, it was an important moment to decide who would be the next student president.
"Have you looked at the influence of the top students in each grade…?"
Obel started off the conversation in a light manner.
From the school's point of view, it was necessary to guess in advance which student will be elected as the student representative.
And the most obvious way to do that was… Looking at the influence of the top students in each grade and how it was affecting the elections
The combat department, magic department, alchemy department… The top students in each department were often those that had the most influence over their grade.
That was because even without saying anything, the students always greatly respected the top students in each grade. Of course, there are some exceptions, but… There was definitely a trend. In the case of the alchemy department, for those who had no idea what to do, it had become a tradition to follow the opinion of the top student.
And if you look beyond just being the top student in their department, for those who were the best in their entire grade… With their power, they were in a position where they could completely change the outcome of the entire election.
That was, unless something unusual took place or someone with a different opinion chimed in… Though, usually most opinions and support came from the power of the top students within the school.
"I will give you a detailed report separately."
"Alright. Then let's move onto the next topic."
As Assistant Professor Cleoh confirmed that she was no longer the focus of attention, she breathed out a sigh of relief. In any case, acting as Professor Glast's replacement was really no easy job.
"The next item on the agenda… There's another snowstorm again this year?"
An issue that was always brought up every year around that time. Right before spring, during the late winter at Acken Island, there was a snowstorm that lasted around a week, caused by the climate conditions. While its arrival slightly changed each time, it still came every year without exception.
During that time, students were banned from going outside and were forced to spend their time in the dormitory instead. Thus, each dormitory needed to be checked and repaired for the cold weather, as well as preparing any internal supplies necessary.
There was no reason to worry about Ophelis Hall's facilities along with the students and staff. But Lorail Hall and Dex Hall still needed to have their conditions checked… As Obel listened to all of that for three hours, he felt rather upset.
Thinking about how that was the last cold snap before spring came, he started to truly feel just how fast time flew by.
***
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 3rd
Species: Human
Achievements: Resolute Survivor (1 year) / High-ranking Spirit Summoner
Vitality: 13
Intelligence: 13
Dexterity: 15
Willpower: 12
Luck: 11
Combat Skills Details ➢
Magic Skills Details ➢
Life Skills Details ➢
Alchemy Skills Details ➢ ]
[ Newly Finished Product
Wooden Windbreak Wall
Well-cut wooden boards stacked together and tied with string. Buried into the ground, it stands up straight.
It can fulfill its job of keeping out a small draft but won't withstand strong winds above its limit.
Production Difficulty Level: ●◐○○○ ]
At that point, with those kinds of products I couldn't raise my production skills any higher.
My dexterity stat has also hit 15, so its growth had slowed down. Since it was at 15 and might not raise any higher, I needed to focus my time on my other stats now to raise them up.
Now for another dramatic growth, it was about time I went looking for another opportunity.
Unlike Taylee, I couldn't just sit still and wait for all sorts of ordeals to come my way, so I needed to get up on my feet and work.
"Phew…"
After wiping away my sweat, I looked over at the Windbreak that I worked so hard to set up.
All of the random household objects I had laying outside had been moved back inside the cabin.
And for all the other supplies that were too difficult to put inside the cabin, I set up a tent, making sure to tie it down with several layers of rope. I then placed it right behind the windbreaker, storing things there.
"It's definitely the smart choice to prepare as much as I can for the strong winds."
Wiping off my sweat, I leaned against the wall of the cabin with my arms crossed when I heard a familiar voice across the campfire.
Quietly looking over in that direction, I immediately understood just what kind of situation this was.
Just looking at her, you could tell from her new maid uniform just how uptight and proper she had to behave.
Bell, who was wearing a spotless outfit with many frills and accessories, was holding onto Lucy.
Rather than a human… Lucy was trembling while hanging off of her, looking like some dried fish on a drying rack. Since her complexion was so pale, she must still hate the Ophelis Hall maids.
"It's a relief to see you're doing well, young master Ed."
"Did you come here to catch Lucy?"
"Soon, the snowstorm will be coming. We got an order from the school. During the snowstorm, entry and exit to the dormitories is forbidden unless absolutely necessary. Personnel management is also more thorough than usual."
That was why she had come to catch Lucy way in advance.
Though, honestly, in the case of Lucy… Whether it was a thunderstorm or a snowstorm, she wouldn't have a problem. But school rules were school rules. During those times, I felt bad for the maids, who had to run around dirtying their clothes only to clean it again.
"As she is the most likely to try and run away… I have to keep a closer eye on her. I'm also planning to take over the role of monitoring her for a week."
"H-Help me…"
"..."
Bell definitely doesn't leave any room for error in her work. Even though it seemed like she didn't enjoy it very much, her ability to manage everything as the head maid was quite outstanding.
It might be suffocating for Lucy, who hated being trapped in stuffy places, but… the fact was that she had to stay inside Ophelis Hall for a week. And there was nothing I could do about that.
Like I said… School rules were school rules. To help her try and escape, I would feel all too bad for the Ophelis Hall maids.
"This must be your first time taking care of the snowstorm while in a managerial position. Is there a lot you're worried about?"
"…Hm… Hmm… Uhm…"
"I'm going to keep speaking formally."
"...Honestly, there isn't much to worry about. Ophelis Hall is well equipped, and in the first place, there are barely even any students that would go outside during the snowstorm… As long as I keep a close eye on Miss Lucy to make sure she doesn't run away, there shouldn't be any other issues."
Bell quickly grabbed onto Lucy tightly as she changed the focus of the conversation to me.
"In actuality, what I'm actually worried about is you. In this environment, will you be okay during a week-long snowstorm? I apologize for being so blunt, but with just a mere windbreaker like this… I think it would be difficult."
"Well, this is just to protect these supplies."
Besides that, in case something bad might happen to the cabin, I decided to tightly fasten a rope from the roof all the way down into the ground. I also took care of all the hunting traps I had set up and placed them back inside my cabin.
"I have another place where I am going to hide out during the snowstorm, so you don't have to worry too much."
"Since you're saying that, I won't worry too much…"
During the week where the snowstorm was wreaking havoc, I planned to focus on researching magic engineering in the Soul Library.
As it was underground and it could get a bit stuffy, it wasn't a place I really wanted to stay for a prolonged period, but it couldn't be helped. I already prepared enough firewood and moved it over, as well as took care of ventilation. All I had to do was make a fire near the hole.
It was a shame that I wouldn't be able to borrow Lucy's magic power, but it was still only a week that I needed to last.
I was just hoping there was no damage to the camp while I was away.
As soon as I finished my long training period in the library, the weather would start to get warmer. By then, I should have made quite a bit of progress in my magic engineering as well.
It was a strange feeling. As if I were an animal that was going away to hibernate over the winter.
"Well, that's that, but… Master Ed. There's something else I'm worried about…"
"Yes? There's something else?"
Bell scratched her chin as an expression of worry crossed her face… But shortly after, she just shook her head.
"It's nothing. Asking it would be too nosy of me…"
"If you say that, I can't help but be curious."
Still holding onto Lucy, who was dangling around, Bell caved in and spoke to me with a stern face.
"No matter what… Good luck… Young master Ed."
***
The blueberry pie tasted like sand.
Refreshments brought directly from the most famous bakery in the empire. Excited to see her school friends after such a long time, Clara brought back all high-class refreshments.
Clara drank her black tea as she sat in front of her best friends, Yennekar and Anise… when she realized 'this is the hot seat.'
In the student welfare facilities located in the Student Union Building at the education district, the three of them sat together at a bench off in the corner… and for five whole minutes, they didn't have a proper talk.
At the start, Clara was excited as she talked about her vacation, next semester's classes, and such to try and start a conversation. However… it only resulted in a few short responses. But there was a strange tension in the air between Yennekar and Anise.
"What's wrong with you two…? Did you fight…?"
Anyone could tell that they had fought. Clara started to have a throbbing headache.
Seeing her two friends who she cherished more than anything else in Silvenia fighting… It was certainly heartbreaking.
The image of Yennekar and Anise at the start of the vacation, when they waved her off, wavered in her head. Clara remembered her friends, who would always smile even if they sometimes bickered over small things.
Yennekar and Anise had a long relationship. So, if they really did fight, there was a high chance it wasn't anything trivial. But it also wasn't enough to break their friendship forever.
Anise had a strong side to her, but she was still good in nature. And there's not much to say about Yennekar. So, to see the two of them fighting… just how serious and complex was the issue?
It was the perfect time for her to reconcile the two as a bridge connecting both sides. Thinking that, Clara was about to say the first words.
"I heard she was hugged by Ed."
Yennekar spoke first, without adding even the slightest bit of emotion into it.
Clara barely managed to hold back from spitting out the tea she drank.
"Wh-What are you saying?"
Clara looked straight at Anise.
Just what is she saying, Anise? Hearing what Yennekar had said so certainly… She wouldn't hold herself back from saying something, right? Clara carefully watched Anise for any reaction.
But as if she were embarrassed, she lowered her gaze… And with a bashful face she started to sweat…!
With Yennekar… She can't make eye contact…!
"Anise…?"
"That's… something like a misunderstanding, yeah."
Still sweating, Anise quickly looked up towards Yennekar as she began to speak.
"I think the spirits didn't tell the full story. Actually, more than that, I think the story you heard was only focused on the superficial facts. They don't know the full story."
"Wh-What…?"
Anise took in a deep breath as she came back to her usual composed expression.
The top teacher assistant in the school, Anise Haylan. Seeing her expression, as if she were back to her usual self that took care of everything thoroughly while making sure to not make a mistake, Clara started to feel a bit of relief.
"There's something I need to apologize to you for, Yennekar. This is something that Clara already knows, but… I tried to purposely trick that guy, Ed."
Only then did Clara understand the full story.
What Anise had told her before vacation and before she had left the school.
That she would flirt with Ed to see how he would react…!
"Ahhh~ That's right…! Ah, did Yennekar find out?! Anise you're quite clumsy…! Still, this is… Yeah, it's something you should apologize for…!"
"That's right, Yennekar. I'm sorry. Honestly, I didn't think Ed Rothstaylor was a guy that could be trusted… No matter how I looked at it, he seemed like a playboy… That's why I tried to play him just once…!"
"What…? That's… You liar… No, wait… Really?"
This time, Yennekar's eyes began to tremble. It made sense that she would feel confused, but Clara's heart also began to pound.
Clara knew Anise wasn't lying.
Anise had definitely told her about it beforehand. That she was planning to trick Ed to figure out the truth about him.
"In the first place, a guy like him isn't my type! Don't worry one bit, Y-Yennekar."
Anise's eyes began to tremble as she started to talk confidently out of the blue.
"In the first place, what's so good about a guy like him, who looks like a thug, full of arrogance, walks around all gloomy, and lives only thinking about himself, right?!"
"You're too mean, Anise! You don't even know anything about Ed…!"
"Then what do you want me to say!"
After saying that, Anise took a moment to breathe before hitting the table and standing up.
"I… I'm sorry for trying to trick him like that without talking to you first, Yennekar…! I'm sorry!"
"If you suddenly apologize like that… I… I don't know what to do…! Having me react like this, it's like Ed and I… are like… you know… In that type of relationship…"
Clara felt her soul escaping her.
Was she really going to come out and say they weren't like that after all of that? She didn't know how Ed thought of it, but at the very least Yennekar was way past that point.
She was always talking about Ed this and Ed that, every single time they met, so anyone would feel frustrated out of their minds seeing how she was currently acting. That was all the fault of her overly shy and pure personality.
"A-And… Why are you doing something I didn't ask for, Anise?! Whether Ed is a good person or not… That's for me to decide…! No, wait… Talking like this seems like Ed and I are in that type of relationship… That's not what I meant…!"
"Yennekar. You are too confused right now. You aren't thinking straight."
Yennekar continued to talk while rolling her feet.
"D-Do you know how worried I was?! I couldn't sleep at night… And Anise, you are such a close friend of mine, so to feel this sort of betrayal from you… Actually, am I even in a position to feel betrayal for this…? I don't really know… I was just worrying a lot about a lot of different things, and…"
"Don't worry, Yennekar. At the very least, to him you are a special person. I'm sure that you will be more than a friend, but less than a lover to him. At least, that's from what I've seen."
"When you say something like that, I really don't know how I should respond! Isn't it getting hot? It's really hot!"
Yennekar, who had reached her limit, started to quickly fan her face as she looked back and forth between Anise and Clara.
Getting embarrassed was something that might happen every so often… But today it was happening way more than usual.
The reason was that Anise was speaking way too directly. For an angel like Yennekar, the speed and bluntness must have been all too much… She started to think 'just when will this conversation cool down?'
"A-Anyway… Seeing as I mistook everything so greatly… Yeah, it was just a misunderstanding… Okay…! To be honest, I don't think it's a good idea to try and judge Ed with such a method, but… since you were only looking out for me, I can't get mad… Anyway, thanks for being honest with me, Anise!"
Seeing Yennekar's expression when talking, Clara felt a sense of relief.
That was unlike Anise. She was someone that always did everything perfectly, but accidentally got caught out by Yennekar and started a fight…
But still… It all worked out… It was nothing but a minor argument.
For a moment, she had thought that perhaps Anise had really fallen for Ed, but that would have made no sense. Yeah, it couldn't be possible.
"Oh, yeah… Alright, Yennekar."
However, Clara saw through her expression.
Looking down with a face that was slightly red, Anise responded to Yennekar… Seeing that, Clara suddenly realized the cause of her goosebumps.
"Anise."
After their meeting, Yennekar walked over towards the North Forest.
She said that recently, because she was focusing on training her Spiritual Resonance and mentally so preoccupied due to the misunderstanding with Anise, she hadn't had time to visit.
Seeing that she wanted to visit Ed regularly, now that she was feeling much better it only made sense that she would head there right away.
Though, from Clara's point of view, as someone that didn't know where Ed lived, it looked as if she was only going to train her Spiritual Resonance some more. So, she just waved her hand, saying goodbye to her.
Finally, when she was alone with Anise, she called out her name in a low voice.
"…Clara, can't you skip asking me more questions?"
"If you want… but Anise… still…"
"I have an idea."
"What is it?"
As they crossed over the commercial district, Clara quietly asked her question… Anise swallowed her saliva as she grabbed Clara's collar and spoke with a strangely desperate look on her face.
"I-Introduce me to a guy."
"..."
She had asked for something like that in the past before, but this time it was special.
But the unfortunate thing was… Clara also didn't have any experience with dating…
"Th-That's asking for too much…"
"I-Is it…?"
"In the first place, there's no way someone's heart would change so easily like that, Anise."
"That's not it, Clara. I'm not entirely sure, but we can just overwrite one's original feelings."
As Anise spoke, she shook Clara's shoulder, looking her straight in her eyes.
"D-don't look at me like that, Clara!"
"Wh-what are you talking about? I was just looking at you like normal…!"
Anise took several breaths.
"Anyway, I'm sorry that I lied to Yennekar, but… I didn't want to emotionally burden her right now. I'll just hide my feelings. I should be able to do that much. It's just that… I haven't made any other guy friends like that yet!"
"Y-You can explain it slowly! Anise, you're too excited right now! And in the first place, I told you it's not easy to go and find a new relationship like that!"
"R-Really?"
"Anise, you're busy, and… you don't invest enough time into others to have a special relationship like that… Wait, is saying all of this right now the wrong timing…?"
"No, no… you're right… what you're saying is right…"
Anise grabbed Clara's shoulders again, shaking them a couple more times.
"Clara. Maybe it's just a stereotype that we have to date a man. If we think about things more forwardly… If it's just a special relationship… Clara, do you want to date me?!"
"Please calm down and get a grip, Anise. You have to think about things rationally. You normally have a rational personality. Just forget about your guilt with Yennekar and think it over, please."
"Y-you're right, Clara. I can't get swayed by something like that."
Anise stopped her head from spinning as she spoke straight to Clara.
"They say out of sight, out of mind. Once the snowstorm passes vacation will end, and the school's scholarship program students will also be moved to their new workplaces… Soon, I won't have to run into him anymore. In the first place, besides Elemental Studies, we study different fields. We won't overlap or share many of the same classes… I'll just have to manage to get through this scholarship program. That's right… Just until the program is finished and we all go to our separate places…!"
***
"I have decided to work with the students in the school's scholarship program as an assistant professor until the end of the semester~!"
On a morning two days later, Assistant Professor Cleoh pretended to blow a trumpet as she announced it to the students gathered in the lab.
"Clevius and Onyx are both hard workers that do a good job. And you, Ed, are especially good at finishing your work. You are active and excel in everything you do. It would be too much of a shame to let another lab take you instead~"
Assistant Professor Cleoh spoke with a delighted smile on her face, a tart shoved into her mouth.
"Of course, as you will be a dedicated student assistant to a professor, the scholarship you receive will also be raised. Compared to other labs, this will be a more relaxing place to work~ So let's all have a good time~"
Certainly, Assistant Professor Cleoh's lab wasn't a bad environment to work in. And more than anything, the professor in charge didn't overstep her authority at all.
As all the students nodded their heads, listening to what she was saying, all the way in the back sitting alone at a desk was Anise… with her hands covering her face as if she had just lost a war.
-x-X-x-
My eyes had adapted to the dark for quite some time. After all, my life was only in darkness.
After opening his bleary eyes, the experience of living in a world covered in blood ate away at Clevius' heart.
The memory that was most deeply embedded in his mind remained fixed.
That moment when he opened his eyes only to have a blade in his older brother's heart.
The older brother that always stood by his side, even when the rest of the family turned away from Clevius. Even that older brother, who he considered his only ally, couldn't overturn his cursed blood and the blade that came for him.
Spitting blood from his mouth and bloodshot eyes, he looked down at Clevius and spoke.
Grinding his teeth and coughing up blood, he spoke to Clevius.
Probably with the intention of a curse. The words he spoke as the blood continued to drip—
"They said that, until the snowstorm passes, all activities within the school will be stopped. So, why did you come all the way to the school labs? You didn't have to come to work."
Suddenly, Clevius came back to his senses. He almost lost his mind again to the occasional hallucinations.
"With the weather the way it is today and tomorrow, isn't it better to stay inside the dormitory?"
"W-Well, even if you said that, you also came to work, Assistant Professor Cleoh…"
"Isn't that what it means to be the youngest professor~? It's my fate to work until I reach my limit… Ughh…"
Assistant Professor Cleoh shook her head as she took a deep breath.
Thick clouds started to fill the sky little by little as a light drizzle would occasionally fall. It might seem like a cozy winter, but at any moment in an instant the snow and wind would pick up.
Acken Island had been preparing for the snowstorm for a while, and Laplace bakery has also gone on a break. It was a mistake to not prepare and buy snacks beforehand.
"…The thing you mentioned last time. Uhm… The Student Assistant job for the school?"
"Ahh, are you talking about being a part of this lab? It won't be too hard~ Since the number of staff has also increased quite a bit, everyone should have an easy time doing their own work."
"That's not it. Uhm, I… I think it would be better if I didn't do it."
"Huh? What are you saying all of a sudden? You're going to another lab?!"
"No, that's not it…"
Clevius spoke nervously with his hair on end.
"I like how you treat us, but I don't want to take on a job with such responsibilities… So, I came here to tell you…"
"Why? Clevius, you're diligent and the type that does a good job making sure the work is done, aren't you?"
"That's… Only because it was compulsory… That's why taking on anything that requires more responsibility or skills… I don't really want to do that…"
Clevius swallowed his dried saliva as he started to speak with a bit more confidence.
"Whenever obligations were given to me this way… For most of my life, it always ended in failure… So, I like to think that I've accumulated some knowledge through my life… Rather than starting… I'd prefer to take my time until I can find the right answer… After all, most of the time I just end up a nuisance to others…"
Clevius continued to speak with hesitation as he looked exhausted and gloomy like he always does.
"Is that so? I thought that you were unhappy with how I treated you, or maybe someone had tried to steal you away from me~"
"I–It was nothing like that. I can't imagine something like that happening. Plus, you always treat us so well… It's really great here, but…"
"Really? So, you're saying that you'll still do it?"
"Huh? Ah, uhm…. I guess so…"
In front of Clevius, who was a nervous wreck, Assistant Professor Cleoh ended the conversation in an instant with a smile on her face.
"Then do it."
Assistant Professor Cleoh was the same as usual, but for some reason it seemed like she wouldn't tolerate speaking random nonsense anymore.
Clevis continues to sweat profusely… As he couldn't respond to her anymore.
***
[ Magic Skills Details
Grade: Proficient Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
Fast Casting Lvl 10
Mana Sense Lvl 10
Fire Element Magic:
Ignite Lvl 16
Wind Element Magic:
Wind Blade Lvl 16
Spirit-type Magic:
Spiritual Resonance Lvl 13
Spiritual Understanding Lvl 13
Spirit Manifestation Lvl 4
Sense Sharing Lvl 3
Resonance Level: 3
Spiritual Efficiency: Good
Innate Skills:
Blessing of Fire Fortune (Temporary Immunity to Fire)
Explosion (Low-level Explosion)
Increased Ability of Fire-Type Magic
Resonance Level: 1
Spiritual Efficiency: Very Bad
Innate Skills:
Storm's Blessing (Periodically Neutralizes Damage)
Updraft (Intermediate Wind Magic)
Increased Ability of Wind-Type Magic
"Ed, soon enough you'll also be able to make a contract with a mid-rank spirit."
Yennekar came to visit the camp with a bright smile across her face, one that I hadn't seen in two days.
It was only a couple of days ago that she was walking around with a gloomy expression, as if she was dead inside, but today she had completely reverted back to her original self. Seeing her sit around the campfire, the difference was really massive.
"You seem to be feeling better, Yennekar."
"Uhm, yeah. Since you said that… I must have really been looking depressed!"
"Can you even say that…? The last time you came to the camp…"
"Last time?! When was that?! I can't remember…!!!"
Yennekar quickly started to fan her face as she raised her voice.
Remembering the last time she came to the camp, when she was completely depressed and covered herself in the blanket, it was all too embarrassing for her.
At that time, the way I reacted was also a bit strange. It was hard to just leave her alone, seeing her there like a small animal, hugging her knees and trembling.
In the first place, I feel like my heart was opening up more to Yennekar, one layer at a time. Probably because she was a character that was no longer a part of the storyline. Yennekar was the only friend I had that was the same age as me that I could really open up to…
My relationships… Was that even okay…? That was the first thing that came to mind. I think from that moment on I needed to start making more friends to improve my relationships.
Wasn't I only suffering while living out in the forest by myself to live a good life later on?
In terms of my strength, I didn't know how many of the achievements had been accomplished thus far, but at the very least compared to the other main members of the story, I was still on the weaker side. In particular, from Act 3 the rate at which the characters would grow was incredible, so I had to make sure to actively keep up.
Seeing as I was still struggling financially, and I didn't have many friends… I still had a long way to go.
In Silvenia Academy, everyone had the opportunity to meet with all sorts of high-class individuals without any restrictions. It was too good of an opportunity to just throw away. My first impression wasn't all that great, but…
Still, I had Yennekar on my side, so that was a relief.
"I-I just had a small misunderstanding with a friend. Yeah."
"I see."
"Yeah! It was just a small, really small misunderstanding, so it's nothing for you to worry about, Ed. And now, everything has been cleared up, so we are back to being friends!"
Seeing that her smile was so relaxed and bright, I felt a bit of relief as well.
"A-Anyway, we should talk about you now. I know you managed to sign a contract with Merilda, but… No matter how much I think about it, it's strange. You're not at a level where you can deal with high-rank spirits."
"I used some trickery."
Didn't Merilda tell her about the ring? It seemed strange that someone that was always so chatty would keep a secret.
The truth about the ring's existence was something that I wanted to keep to myself as much as possible, but I figured that it would be okay to share with Yennekar.
And more than anything, Yennekar helped me so much with my Elementalism training that she knew my level of magic power. There was no way I could hide or cover up how strange it was that I managed to make a contract with Merilda.
Yennekar was someone that didn't go around spreading rumors and was a reliable colleague of mine, so it didn't really matter.
I told her about the golden phoenix ring that Professor Glast had left behind.
Yennekar sat quietly listening to everything before nodding her head in agreement at the end.
"Then, right now you can't use your magic power. It's too hard on you to make a contract with a mid-rank spirit right now."
"Once the vacation ends and the semester starts, my magic power will come back."
I needed to make a contract with a mid-rank spirit. Even without Yennekar explaining, I already knew it well.
If Mugg was a rifle, then Merilda was a tank.
Between a rifle and a tank, the gap in power between the two is too large.
My contract with Merilda was something that shouldn't even be possible at my level, so when I summoned her, all of my magic power would be sucked away—leaving me helpless.
Even after taking in all of the magic power stones, I was still only able to summon her thanks to Lucy's help. Dealing with Merilda all by myself was still too difficult.
It could be something like a worst-case scenario plan in the case that I was really stuck in a corner, but she is definitely not at a level that I could casually summon her whenever I felt like it. Even Yennekar, who was born with a talent in Elementalism, paid special attention and carefully watched her magic power levels when dealing with high-rank spirits.
"Being able to handle a high-ranking spirit, this is really great Ed. Among fellow Elementalist, the day they are first able to make a contract with high-ranking spirits is called their second birthday. Though, there really aren't many elementalist who can handle a high-rank spirit in the first place."
"Even if you are able to handle various mid-rank spirits, you are already considered a veteran… It certainly feels like I made a step forward as an Elementalist."
"Although you used a trick. Hehe."
Since she was smiling so brightly, I was starting to feel a bit proud of what I did. Of course, there was still a long way for me to go before I could start showing off.
"Anyway, I'm sure you already know this Ed, but high-ranking spirits aren't something you can use just any time… It's nothing like a weapon that you can just use whenever. That's why a contract with a mid-ranking spirit is necessary. Low-ranking spirits are a constant source of power, mid-ranking spirits are a deadlier force, and high-ranking spirits are your last-chance source of power. Most high-ranking spirits tend to be used in this manner."
"So, I am going to need one or two mid-ranking spirits to use as my main source of power."
"That's right. You have a good resonance level when it comes to wind and fire, but… it's also a good idea to make a contract with spirits outside of your main elements. Once your magic power returns, let's give it a try. I will help you."
Excited, Yennekar stomped her feet around as she spoke. I was thankful to see how enthusiastic she was about my own growth, as if it were her own.
"But for that to happen, I first need to get back my magic power. I'll work harder on it during the semester. I'm sure you were also busy with your own things, so I'm sorry about this."
"No, no. Don't apologize, Ed. This is something I want to do. Plus, is this even a time for you to worry about me…? Soon, the snowstorm is going to come… Though, it seems like you have been preparing."
All of the hunting traps I had originally scattered around the forest were back around the campfire. Most of them I had organized and moved back into my cabin, but the ones that needed some maintenance I left aside.
If you left the blood stains or didn't take care of the scratches and teeth marks on it, then the condition would deteriorate rapidly.
Still, since I didn't have enough time these days, it seemed I hadn't been able to take care of it all properly.
Looking around at the camp, preparations were being made for the winter all over the place.
Things were fastened to the ground with ropes tightly in place.
Especially the cabin, which was covered in rope, the material wrapped around it along several wooden beams that were used as auxiliary support. The same was done for the extra warehouse I set up as well.
And the wooden shelter that I first made when I came into the forest… That shelter was special to me, only to become Lucy's nap area, and I had also installed a windbreaker. Though… I wasn't sure how it would hold up. If it flew away, it couldn't be helped.
"Once this snowstorm passes, spring will come alongside the new semester… and the forest will also become a lot better then, too!"
After Yennekar spoke, she suddenly began to say something else in a strangely soft tone.
"Don't you think… It would have been better if you just entered Dex Hall? It's too much to have to spend the winter outside here like this…"
"It's fine. I'll be in the Soul Library during the snowstorm."
"Th-That facility in the underground lab?"
"Yeah. I made a separate entrance. Well, I didn't make it, but… it just came to be. It's a little bit stuffy, as it is underground, but at the very least I won't have to worry about the wind, which is a relief. It's great as a shelter."
"That's a relief… But I'm sure it will get boring. Being trapped down there for a week."
"During that time, I'm going to focus purely on training my magic engineering. Though, it still might not be enough time for me to go over all of the materials and production formulas we gathered."
"As expected of you, Ed. Always working hard, never wasting a minute."
It made more sense to say that I was working hard because I had no choice due to the environment that I lived in. And even when I thought about 'hard work', it wasn't like I particularly worked much harder than Yennekar does.
The status and respect that came with the position of being the best in her grade wasn't something that could be taken lightly.
"I'll see you once the snowstorm passes and school starts up again. We have to also start thinking about joint combat training. Plus, there's the student presidential election. Since you're the top student in our grade, I'm sure you'll gather some attention."
"There are already people who are secretly wondering who is supporting who. And since I heard there are going to be many candidates… to be honest, I'm not sure who will be better than who. That's why I'm planning on just staying neutral."
During the pre-election arc in the scenario, Yennekar didn't particularly receive much attention despite being the top student in her year. Since rather than strongly supporting a candidate, it was in her nature to instead respect each candidate fairly.
"On that topic, Ed, your sister… Didn't she say she was running for president?"
"Ah, that's right. She is very ambitious by nature."
Yennekar suddenly remembered something as she let out a gasp slowly asking me a question.
"Uhm… Ed… Are you close with your sister…?"
"Should I say we're… close…?"
Strictly speaking, I'm not sure.
Tanya Rothstaylor is just a stepping stone villain that came out in Act 3, only to leave in the same act.
I didn't have to pay extra attention to her as she was a character that was going to become irrelevant to the storyline soon enough… Though, I guess for now I should still be careful.
But still… wasn't she the first family member I had met since coming to this desolate world.
"In the first place I was excommunicated from my family… but still, we are blood relatives. Whether we like it or not, there's a high chance we will spend the rest of our lives running into each other. So, I do want to stay on good terms with her. And I don't think she has any major malice towards me like I thought… And either way, it's not like siblings always get along with each other. Right?"
"Th-That's… Yeah, it must be… Just a regular quarrel between siblings… Something that happens often…"
"Yeah. Well, we did go through many ups and down together… and I really do want to get along with her more than anything else. But even if we aren't super close… I would still say I cherish her a lot."
Although, in the first place she hadn't done anything for me and vice versa… Still, the existence of a blood relative meant a lot to me given that I didn't have many friends. I felt like, from now on, I was going to do my best to take care of her to make sure our relationship was good.
Living alone in a world that was dry like a desert… It was the first time I was able to meet someone who shared the same blood as me.
By the end of the story, House Rothstaylor would fall either way, so there was a high chance that Tanya would end up like me.
Though, thinking of Tanya, she would definitely just roll up her sleeves and do whatever it took to survive… She was a strangely reassuring girl.
"I-I see… You care a lot for her… It was just a fight between s-sister and brother…"
Suddenly, she grabbed my wrist as her complexion turned pale blue, breaking out into sweat.
"But Ed… Wh-What does Tanya like? Is there something she would like in particular as a gift? Or her favorite food…?"
"..."
Yennekar started to pull on my sleeve even harder as she suddenly started to bombard me with such questions.
I stared back at Yennekar quietly before softly speaking…
"What did you do to Tanya?"
"Nothing!"
Yennekar wasn't good at hiding her expressions, so it was obvious when she was lying.
She only lasted three seconds before confessing it all, unable to bear the guilt in her conscience.
Even though she spoke while sweating, it really wasn't anything all that serious.
***
"It's been announced that from early this morning the snowstorm has arrived. Going outside is forbidden unless given a special reason. Please contact a maid if you have any business to do outside."
The Ophelis Hall maids that were precise in their greetings bowed their heads as they left the room.
The roaring winter wind was eerie. The window would suddenly rattle off and on as the snow flew against it, only to melt away from the room's warmth.
Kylie… Clarice took in a deep breath, looking at a vanity mirror in a private room of Ophelis Hall.
The size of the three-sided makeup mirror was even larger than Clarice's whole body.
She loosened her hair as she took off the brooch that kept the illusion magic in place.
The color of her chestnut hair faded away in an instant as shiny silver hair came down to her waist instead.
That graceful color, which didn't match her reddish eyes, created a mysterious atmosphere around her.
Even her facial features, which were rather sharp, still seemed to feel gentle and kind. Returning to her regular appearance, Clarice was now at last able to feel at ease.
But even if her body was comfortable, something was still bothering her mind.
Laying down on a large bed, decorated with frills, she quietly stared up at the ceiling.
Closing her eyes, she was reminded of the incident from a few days ago. It kept playing on repeat, dozens of times, over and over again in her head.
The brooch that had disappeared, the illusion magic that was fading away, the flying bat made of flames, and the hand that put the brooch back into her arms.
The appearance of her third-year senior, who sat on top guarding the altar while looking down at all the freshmen was terrifying. Yet once the exam was over, the intensity in the atmosphere disappeared in an instant.
And what followed came a feeling of incongruity. Something wasn't right.
Tanya didn't seem to notice, as she was in a panicked state, but still there was definitely something off about Ed Rothstaylor.
No matter how much she second guessed it, it was a fact that without her brooch, Clarice's appearance would definitely change.
Yet he acted so natural that she couldn't help but think, 'did he really not see anything?'
Could he really not tell from the distance he was at…? But even aside from that, the mistake he made afterwards was too big to ignore.
No matter what anyone said, it was as if he had figured out the true identity behind Kylie… Clarice's heart began to pound.
Just how much effort did she already put in to live a regular ordinary school life.
If it weren't for the Holy Blessing that she was born with, it would have been too difficult to request minimizing the number of guards she had.
Also, there was the fact that it took days of arguing with the priests to convince them to let her study magic.
Just how much time and effort did she put into creating a double to take her place?
And on top of all the efforts that she made, there was also the condition that if even one outsider found out about her true identity, she would have to give up on her normal school life.
Clarice wanted to complain and argue against the archbishop's words, but given her status and position, it wasn't possible.
A girl of her age arguing against it would be only natural, but at that point Clarice was already too used to her life and the responsibilities that came with it.
"…Rather than an aristocrat… He's more like a barbarian…"
No matter how much Ed's life might revolve around survival and working hard, it was still too much to call him a barbarian.
However, for a girl who had lived her entire life in an enclosed environment, managing a neat appearance, seeing the more natural human side of Ed was a whole new world she had never ever experienced.
Was he really going to find out Clarice's true identity?
It was difficult for her to deal with that ambiguous situation, so she tried to make rumors to find information, but to no avail.
It was Clarice herself who had succumbed to the protection of the Knight Templars on her own. There was a limit to the number of people she could mobilize.
That was why it wasn't until that night that she was finally able to get proper results.
"Was there anyone who made it to the altar during the class assignment exam? There was an upperclassman with blonde hair that was there. Ed Rothstaylor. I asked my older sister and she said he doesn't live in the dormitory. Instead, he lives towards the river out in the northern forest."
"What? Northern Forest? In this cold winter?"
The Freshmen Dinner Party.
Before the start of the semester, the first years gathered together at the student center to get to know each other.
Clarice sat still as she listened to Joseph, the top student of the magic department, and their colleague Eigg.
"Ah, Eigg, didn't you say you got eliminated halfway through? Hahaha. Even though you acted like hot shit, you couldn't even get close to the altar."
"Sh-Shut up. I just got hit by a surprise attack. Seeing how that got changed, didn't you also get eliminated?"
"Making excuses is so lame, Eigg. Anyway, about that Ed guy. It seems that all of the third years know him as the same thing. He's famous for being a massive geek amongst geeks. He supposedly only does what he has to, but… From what I've seen, he is definitely not normal."
After that, there were several other conversations about Ed Rothstaylor, to the point that Clarice was barely able to catch them all.
Most of the Knights Templars were off pretending to escort the fake saint. However, the two of them that were following her were the most elite, making sure to stay hidden from sight.
Even though they were strong as escorts, that didn't mean they were good at gathering information.
So, Clarice was forced to push her way into any conversation she could to pick up on any piece of information, no matter how difficult it was.
Imagining Ed once again looking down from the altar, completely exhausted, sent goosebumps running down her back.
He was a terrifying person. No matter what, she didn't want to get any closer to him.
But if he really did know the truth behind Clarice's identity… It would be hard to leave him alone.
It would be best to meet with him right away to see if he really did know, and how he managed to figure it out. Of course, also to make sure he kept his mouth shut.
However, for at least a week, she wouldn't be able to leave Ophelis Hall.
They said he lived in the North Forest, so who knew if he would even be able to survive the snowstorm… But either way, he was in a position where he had freedom outside.
Being locked up in Ophelis Hall, there was no way to know what was happening outside. Clarice didn't even know if he was someone that kept a secret or went around gossiping.
Though, how many people would he even be able to meet out in the middle of a snowstorm…? And yet, Clarice couldn't stop herself from trembling with anxiety.
Once the snowstorm ended, spring would come alongside the new semester. At that point, it might be too late to keep his mouth shut.
Still, despite all that, at the moment she couldn't run away. Of course, if she used Holy Magic, she could escape through the window landing without a scratch… But school rules were school rules. Plus, making even the smallest mistakes might mean injury during the snowstorm.
And she couldn't ask the knights to go in her place, either. If they were to find out that Clarice's true identity might have been leaked, they may report it.
"Ugh…"
Clarice swung her body off the bed, getting up.
Looking outside her window at the darkness, she saw that the snow still wasn't heavy.
Holy Blessing and Holy Magic. Being able to handle the two powers, she was free from dangers by force. However, surviving out in the extreme cold in a state of distress, that was an entirely different matter.
But still, the fear of being uncovered… that outweighed her fear of distress. There was a high chance that even if she did get in trouble, it would mostly only be from losing her way in Acken Island. And at the very least, there were many buildings and facilities set up across campus to help avoid the cold.
"That's right… I can't just stay here and sit still…!"
Clarisse swung the window open.
Whoooooooooooosh!
The sharp wind cut across her pale cheeks. Her silver hair was blowing widely from the wind.
Click.
Clarice closed the window back up.
Scary.
Too scary!
Ed was scary, the dark was scary, the cold was scary, and getting in trouble was scary…!
"Living a life only looking at pure white walls and ceilings, one's vision will also weaken. The romance of a world full of magnificent colors will never be known unless one personally experiences it."
But then, suddenly the words of Romantic Adele came to her mind. To overcome the fear of the unknown and pursue freedom.
Clarice was moved as she had listened to the sound of the wandering minstrel sitting in the window of the Holy Father Building, playing her instrument and singing.
She had still yet to meet Adele, who should also still be attending Silvenia.
Still, remembering that romantic voice of hers that had completely enchanted her… had pushed Clarice, who was full of her, back up again.
Opening the window again, a gust of wind blew into the room.
Clarice looked outside the window. Even though the maid periodically patrolled outside the dormitory, it was impossible to watch every area in that weather.
The pathway that led to the garden was empty. Clarice clenched her teeth tightly as she quickly put on her clothes and brooch before jumping down.
She was going to meet that guy and confirm the truth.
Waiting for the snowstorm to end… It might just be too late.
-x-X-x-
The first day of the snowstorm.
The vacation, over which there was no school, was finally coming to an end.
That meant the days of being able to spend an entire day dedicated to my own growth and training were also coming to an end.
The current week was now the last spurt.
Once the semester started, there would be a limit to how intense my training could be. At most, I would probably only be able to make some time to meet with Yennekar to work on a contract with a mid-rank spirit. The rest of my time after class would be used for studying.
Actually, there was nearly no meaning to doing any physical training. All I had to do was maintain where I was.
When my vitality was really low, I spent a few days training, which managed to just barely raise related stats. Perhaps it was because my body had already reached its limit, but there wouldn't be much of a change.
Being in the body of Ed Rothstaylor, who was born with no physical talent whatsoever, it felt like I had trained as much as my body would allow.
It was still at a level that was on the higher end of the average male's physique. Being able to do that much was still a great feat.
If I want to raise my specs any higher, I needed to spend my time focusing on a specialized field rather than just mindless repetitive training.
Magic Engineering and Elementalism. It definitely felt like I was lacking in those two areas.
Among all the skill combinations in
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Intermediate Craftsmen
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
Handicraft Lvl 15
Design Lvl 11
Collecting Skills Lvl 13
Woodworking Lvl 15
Stonemason Lvl 8
Hunting Lvl 14
Fishing Lvl 12
Cooking Lvl 7
Repairing Lvl 5
Technical Proficiency: 23
Power Amplification: 4
Infusion Success Rate: 92
Fire-related Spiritual Proficiency: 6
Wind-related Spiritual Proficiency: 3
Contracted Spirit: Low-Ranking Fire Spirit Mugg
Spiritual Resonance Level: 12
Spiritual Understanding Level: 12
Innate Skills: Blessing of Fire Fortune, Explosion
Contracted Spirit: High-Ranking Wind Spirit Merilda
Spiritual Resonance Level: 4
Spiritual Understanding Level: 3
Technical Proficiency: 4
Magic Engineering Understanding: 5
Fast Production: 3
Collected Production Formulas:
Weak Wind Generator: Lvl 1
Loud Noise Generator: Lvl 1
Automatic Resonance Magic Power Chessboard: Lvl 1
Greenhouse Crystal Ball: Lvl 1
Blue Magic Orb: Lvl 1
Claw Fingers: Lvl 1
Craigle Magic Ink: Lvl 1
Permeating Photosphere: Lvl 1
Onia's Hellfire: Lvl 1
Telos' Frosted Blessing: Lvl 1
1000-year-old wooden wand struck by lightning (cannot be crafted)
Glockt's Eyes (cannot be crafted)
Dell Heim's Hourglass (cannot be crafted) ]
Climbing down the rope, I jumped off down to the floor once I was close enough.
After wiping away the snow on my body, I looked up at the fallen ceiling. A few snowflakes were falling in, but since the hole was still quite far away it wasn't building up as much as I thought it would.
The first thing that caught my eye was the pile of all sorts of magic engineering materials. Those were all things that I managed to move after going back and forth. I really thought I was going to run out of energy.
Other than that, I was impressed upon seeing how neatly the library was organized. While moving the materials, I had checked on it a few times. However, there weren't any mistakes.
I gave Ziggs a few coins, asking him to help clean up the rubble with magic, but I had no idea that he would even organize all the books that were lying around.
Just seeing all of the books neatly grouped up into their meaningful categories… No matter how many times I saw it, you could tell it came from the touch of someone with experience.
It probably came from the help of Ziggs' lover, Elka. Even though I told him to keep the existence of this library a secret as much as possible, he must have not been able to keep the secret from her…
He probably tried to keep it a secret from her, as he was not one to go around speaking of others so freely, but… Elka was the one and only person he didn't keep a secret from. He told her everything.
It seemed that no matter how much he wanted to keep a secret, he couldn't hide it from her.
Elka must have also become interested, seeing as she came down into that dark and dusty library just to organize the books. I started to think that maybe the price to pay for keeping it all a secret was too much.
It wasn't difficult to imagine Elka systematically sorting out the books as Ziggs ran around cleaning things up. Considering his personality, he probably thought of it all as training.
In any case… They put a lot of time and thought into it. Seeing the amount of work those two did, it was worth way more than the amount I paid them.
Once schools started up again, I'd have to find a way to pay them back.
"Hmm… Should I get started?"
I had piled up a lot of food, along with gathering all the materials. Even the library was neatly organized.
For the next week, the environment would be perfectly prepared for me to focus solely on researching magic engineering.
A week might have seemed long, but it also felt short once you started focusing on training.
If all of that could be mastered in a week, then what would be the point of magic engineering being so subdivided?
However, when it came to efficient growth, I already knew how to maximize it.
The most important thing was training one's mastery through repetition. No matter how simple and easy to understand a device might seem, by repeatedly making it you would start to see a new mechanical principle or flow of magic power that you didn't see at first.
Reading through hundreds of Production Formulas was inefficient. What was truly important was picking a good one and focusing on it.
The key was to gain a very thorough and deep understanding of a field of magic engineering that I could create.
Only after raising my magic engineering skill level and becoming more comfortable, by repetitively making things like the Weak Wind Generator, Loud Noise Generator, Greenhouse Crystal Ball, Blue Magic Orb, Craigle Magic Ink, Permeating Photosphere, and the like… could I make rare-grade items like Onia's Hellfire.
Only after training like that, over and over again, to the point that my eyes were bloodshot and I was so exhausted that I could barely stay awake… Would I take on the final goal I had for that vacation?
[ Glockt's Eyes (Legendary)
Temporarily increases the skill level of all resonance-related skills. The effectiveness of curse-type magic is halved. You cannot use defensive magic. Immune to elemental magic. ]
[ Dell Heim's Hourglass (Legendary)
Restores the state of your body to a few seconds prior, removing all damage and wounds. One time use. ]
Glockt's Eyes, which allowed a person to gain an extremely high level of resonance at the expense of practicality and defense.
Dell Heim's Hourglass, which negated all life-threatening damage a single time.
During Act 3, neither of those legendary-grade magically engineered items existed due to balance.
And I have to complete at least one of the two. If I didn't, it would be basically the same as accepting my death. Thinking back to when I was a senior in high school and all I did was sleep for three hours and study the rest, that much was nothing.
Sitting on the workbench set up in the center of the library, I took a deep breath.
"Whooo… Shall I get started…?"
After saying that, I had a realization.
Not yet… I didn't bring the tools from the cabin…
I had even put them in a pretty toolbox to bring with me to the library…!
I was too busy preparing for the storm that I had forgotten.
It was a bitter mistake.
It was time for my body to suffer. I took in another deep breath.
***
The sharp wind was starting to grow fiercer as it ran through the needleleaf trees of the North Forest.
Clarice's fluttering hair seemed like it could blow away at any moment.
Since she could still push through the winds, Clarice continued to make her way towards the river that ran through the North Forest.
'Sacred Magic' and 'Holy Magic'.
Sacred Magic was a magic that came from having been born with the blessing of God.
Holy Magic on the other hand is one that is manifested through faith.
Therefore, most of the Knight Templars and the magicians that were a part of the religion were more proficient in Holy Magic than Sacred Magic. One had to be born with the blessings of God to have an effectiveness with Sacred Magic.
That was why Clarice, who had received all of Telos' love, had so much power with Sacred Magic.
The Holy Blessing Clarice wore across her body returned double the damage dealt by the target if attacked with 'hostility'. And to an outsider, it was impossible to comprehend it even happening… It was a defensive magic with an illogical structure.
Unless one was capable of a variety of special destructive magics, it was something that could not be dealt with.
So, no matter what type of wild animal she might come across, even if it were a monster Clarice would never get hurt.
It was safe to say that even if she did feel fear, there was a nearly zero percent chance she would get hurt from an attack.
Despite that, she still had a deep fear of Ed. But that was because of its own reasons.
And that was… there was a high chance that Ed was baptized by Telos Religious Group.
After the head of house Krepin Rothstaylor had been baptized by the Telos Religious Group, it became tradition for the successors to do the same. A tradition that had been passed down for only two or three generations.
Given that Arwen Rothstaylor had passed away and Ed Rothstaylor rose to the position as heir… he had to have been baptized by the archbishop.
Tanya hadn't been baptized yet, since it had only been a few months since she was raised to the position of heir. However, in the case of Ed Rothstaylor, the chances of him having been baptized by the Telos Religious Group was nearly 100%.
The Holy Blessing… It was also within its nature to not exert its power against believers that were baptized by the same religious group.
It could never raise a sword at a brother- or sister-in-arms that came from the same teachings.
In the first place, if you were to go as far as getting baptized, you would never harbor hostility towards the saint.
However, there was a bit of a loophole there… She was attending school not as Saint Clarice, but instead as Kylie Eckner.
Even if he were a devout believer of Telos, without knowing her true identity he could still raise his sword against her. That was why it was dangerous to reveal her identity.
No, in the first place she couldn't even be sure if that fallen noble with blonde hair even knew her true identity. She was full of unanswered questions.
"Aghhhh…!"
With layers of clothes tightly wrapped around her, Clarice continued toward the North Forest through the snowstorm. She learned the location of the river by familiarizing herself with a map beforehand. As she walked through the forest, it was impossible to miss anyway.
Once you found the river, all you had to do was continue upstream.
The cold was tolerable.
Right after one of the maids had checked on Clarice, she had run out. At the very least, she had a few hours before she would be found out.
Right now… She had to take advantage of the opportunity before the school semester started to get rid of all her worries and questions about Ed Rothstaylor.
"This… Is just like an adventure…!"
All of a sudden, the fear and nervousness she was feeling lessened as a new, warm sense of accomplishment swept over her.
Even just taking steps to find Ed's cabin… It gave her hope that everything would be okay.
Clarice looked timid, but in reality, she was far from weak. The Sacred Magic she was born with and the Holy Magic she gained from her faith—both of which were at a level that a magician could never look down upon.
And as she kept crossing through the snowstorm, once she saw Ed's cabin off in the distance it felt as if she was an explorer that had just discovered their goal… Clarice took in a deep breath.
It was the first time that she had gone outside alone and also the first time in the middle of a snowstorm.
Was it the colorful life of an adventurer that Adele had spoken of…? Clarice walked to the front of Ed's cabin, which was already half-buried in snow… She took a deep breath.
Her self-confidence rose.
The feeling of being able to accomplish anything…!
Clarice decided to not worry any longer as she steeled herself, opening the front door of his cabin.
"Uhm…"
The sound of the sharp wind blowing right by her ear was replaced with the sounds of the walls being pounded.
The sound of the wind was more eerie than you would think when indoors. As there was no light in the cabin, it was completely dark. Because of that, she had to wait for a bit to adjust to the darkness.
And the first thing that she saw in the darkness was… the corpse of a wild boar, the hook still attached to it.
It was bigger than Clarice.
"Aaaaghkak!"
Clarice tripped on her foot, taking a step backwards and falling onto her butt… With both hands, she covered her mouth and averted her eyes from the dangling corpse.
Then, she slowly started to get a view of the entire cabin. Most of the supplies scattered around the cabin were in preparation for the snowstorm.
The sawtooths that were laying around… if you were to look closely, they were all hunting traps that had been piled up.
Though to Clarice, who had no knowledge whatsoever on hunting… it only looked like a sharp weapon.
And… most of them were still covered and stained with red blood. Blood here. Blood there. Blood! Blood! Blood!
There were bloodstains that came from when he had moved the carcass of the boar, and in another corner, there was a massive pile of snake and marten skins.
Looking even further around the cabin… there was a knife used for trimming, still covered in blood… Giant saws and tools that were bigger than Clarice's pale forearms. And the guts from a variety of wild animals were scattered around, drying.
Right on top of the table was the head of the boar. How in the world was he going to use something like that?
At that point, Clarice was already in tears. To a girl that had lived her entire life in the enclosed and nurturing environment of the Holy Father Building, it was overly stimulating. It was no different than hell.
Stomp. Stomp
The sound of footsteps in the snow.
Beyond the raging snowstorm, someone was walking towards the cabin.
She didn't need to see anything to know. At a time like that, there was only one person that would be walking there… the owner of the cabin.
Clarice tried to find a place to hide, but losing strength in her legs, she fell back onto the floor. She managed to use her arms to drag her body all the way over to the right corner of the hut, but it was a terrible effort at hiding.
Crawling under the workbench, hiding in the faint darkness, she prayed to Telos.
Boom!
Whoooooosh!
Suddenly, the door swung open as the sound of the sharp wind once again reached her ears.
Ed walked through the snow as he took what he was carrying on his shoulder, dropping it onto the floor.
A sack of something that was oddly shaped and rather clunky… looking closer, it was an elk that had frozen to death.
From Ed's point of view, it was lucky. He had no idea he was going to find such a windfall on his way back.
However, for Clarice, who ended up making eye contact with the dead elk rolling on the floor… she couldn't even let out a faint scream.
It wasn't that she couldn't let out a sound, afraid of being caught, but rather she didn't even have the time to let out a scream. All she could do was let out her breath as she swallowed her fear.
"Phew…"
Cold weather.
Ed's breath was visible despite the layers of thick clothing he wore. In Clarice's eyes, it looked no different than that of a beast. Looking into Ed's eyes, it was as if she had mistaken him for a monster in truth for a brief moment.
With the last bit of rationality left inside of her, she covered her mouth with two hands to keep from letting out the smallest of sounds.
Ed had fully entered into the darkness. Unlike Clarice, he wasn't yet fully accustomed to it yet.
But with Ed already being fully familiar with the layout, he was able to make his way around the cabin.
Dodging things laying around here and there, Ed reached his hand out towards a wooden box… He then took everything out, checking the items one by one.
Tweezers, needles, awls… As his eyes grew more accustomed to the darkness, he started taking out bigger objects… even hammers and knives were taken out.
And finally, when the moonlight shone down softly, Clarice saw Ed taking out a handsaw with her own two eyes.
"Ahhhh!"
In the end, she made a sound. Clarice covered her mouth with both hands… She had almost completely lost her mind.
"..."
Ed, who had briefly been taken aback, whipped his head around. He made eye contact with Clarice, who was hiding in the dark.
Her heart stopped before racing again.
As if her heart was making up for the moment it stopped, the sound of her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
"K-Kylie Eckner?"
Her whole body was trembling like crazy. Her mind stopped thinking, her mouth started watering, and her heart was beating like crazy.
"Wh-What? Why are you here? Why are you shaking so-…"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Sacred Magic, Emission of Divine Power.
A skill that was advantageous against nearly all other forms of magic, to the extent it even ignored Ed's Storm's Blessing… Ed was hit straight into his solar plexus.
SLAAAAAM!
Boom! Thud! Crash!
Taken by completely unexpected surprise, Ed got knocked back all the way against the wall. The cabinet fell down as all the other things hanging on the wall fell onto him.
Dust rose in the air.
And then complete silence.
The sight that was left after the dust had settled was… Ed passed out, lying on his back with a streak of blood dripping from his head.
It was a perfect surprise attack. Even for Ed, who was quick witted and agile… that was too much to avoid.
"Uhmm… I… I don't know…! A-All of a sudden…! I was just trying to…"
A moment of silence.
Clarice stood up with a trembling body as she looked down at Ed, passed out with a stream of blood from his head.
It looked as if Ed had lost consciousness after having taken a big hit.
No, it wasn't just having lost consciousness…
Whoooooooosh.
The winter wind continued to blow.
The cool air slowly cooled her head as she finally started to remember why she had come.
"I…"
Clarice then faced reality.
"I… Killed a person…!"
Ed's cold body didn't move at all. Clarice then started to feel a different type of goosebump come across her body.
"L-Lord Telos… I-I…. I have committed a great sin…"
With trembling hands, Clarice grasped them together as she knelt down. With an expression that suggested that she had no idea what to do, her body continued to tremble.
"H-How can I… After such a sin… How… How can I live a pure life…. I-I have committed…. Such a great sin… I… I am stained… I-I…. I deserve to burn in hell… I need to pay for my sin…"
During her confession… Clarice trembled as she shed a tear. A moment where she had fallen into a panicked state.
"Hey."
Thud.
A hand was on her shoulder.
To her surprise, after turning around looking at Ed's face covered in blood… It felt as if a ghost was in front of her.
"Right now… Are you kidding me?"
"Heeeeghk."
…Clarice couldn't even let out a scream.
She couldn't even let it out… And holding the expression of screaming, she passed out.
***
A snowstorm that had the strength to cover the entire world.
In the middle of it, Ed stood alone at the cabin looking down at the unconscious Clarice.
His expression… Wasn't all that happy.
***
"Head Maid."
"I heard the report. Keep calm and create a plan of response."
Clarice was wrong.
Since Clarice had left right after the maids had checked on her, she thought that they wouldn't have noticed for at least a few hours… However, the maids in Ophelis Hall weren't that lax.
It only took them fifteen minutes to notice Clarice's absence.
On the top floor of Ophelis Hall, the maids on duty that were watching over every direction then started to look for any clues of a student disappearing through a snowstorm.
It then took only ten minutes to quickly recount every person in the building and only five to confirm that Kylie had gone missing.
"I don't know why she would just run off, but… First, I'll make a report to the academy. Then we'll start a search."
"Shall we send out the maids on duty first, Head Maid?"
"Sending out the maids is something we have to think carefully about, as that would also lower the amount of people we have helping out inside the dormitory. Instead, right now we need to think about how we can use the number of people we have most efficiently. Especially… Make sure that you never forget to always have at least one person watch over Lady Lucy. If we run after her prematurely, that might even cause greater damage."
"A-Alright… Then, what do we do about Lady Kylie…?"
Although it was an unexpected situation, Bell wasn't flustered. Rather, she calmly considered her options for a countermeasure.
The head maid of Ophelis Hall.
She was one of the only people inside the school that knew of Kylie's true identity. In other words, Bell had already been told that Kylei's true identity was that of Saint Clarice. That was a fact that, at the very least, the head maid deserved to know.
She didn't know why she would run off in the middle of a snowstorm or where she was headed. If only they knew of her objective, they could infer where her destination was.
As a rule of thumb, Kylie shouldn't be the reason for the building's protection and safety to be harmed in any way. There was also the fact that there was no guarantee that they could even find her by sending out the maids immediately. On the contrary, it was more likely that they wouldn't be able to find her, given the weather.
That was something that needed to be carefully considered, with close cooperation from the academy.
But… The fact that hadn't been revealed… About Kyle's true identity… If they knew about it, it would actually be a situation where the entire staff and student body combined needed to be mobilized.
If a saint went missing, that is something that could flip the entire nation upside down.
But if you thought about it the other way… The saint was someone that wore the Holy Blessing. In fact, it was a sigh of relief knowing that, compared to other students, she was much safer.
At the very least, it was safe to say that there was no chance of her getting harmed by a wild animal or something like that. That meant that, at the moment, it wasn't a life-threatening situation.
After much deliberation… Bell decided to go out and find her herself. Leaving her duties to a Senior Maid for a little while, it would give her time to deal with urgent matters right away.
Seeing that she didn't lose her composure in the slightest despite the situation… Even the maids that were watching her also became calm.
"The reports of the maids on duty have been updated, Head Maid! But… As for Lady Kylie, it seems… That she disappeared towards the direction of the North Woods…!"
And the news that followed…
In that weather, no one could go outside.
However… There was only one man that was currently out fighting against the brutal snowstorm. And the North Forest was his territory.
"…Don't tell me… It's not…"
Bell started to sweat.
The man that lived out in the North Forest.
The brutal snowstorm. Distress. Just a man and a woman. Asking for help while waiting to get rescued, the two would just have to lean on each other during that extreme situation.
And weirdly enough, a man that had a strange amount of luck with having women around him.
Thoughts of the very complicated relationship diagram centered around the man that lived out in the North Forest flooded her head in an instant.
It was too difficult to keep an eye on the arrows that moved back and forth between all the people involved, as it was ever-so-complicated.
Thinking of adding another face to that, and the identity of that person as well, a cold sweat started to run down her body.
Bell suddenly started to raise her voice.
"We must find her…! As soon as possible…! Before it's too late…! We have to…!"
For Bell, who was always so calm and serious, that was a really urgent and surprising tone of voice. Bell at least knew that Kylie wasn't someone that could be killed, yet the urgency of the situation didn't fade.
Because of that, all the maids that were around her also started to clearly recognize the seriousness of the situation.
Probably....