The average number of items on the agenda to discuss during the school's academic conference had doubled. Considering the situation, it was inevitable.
Despite the academic calendar progressing normally, there had been a lot of unfortunate incidents that occurred on school grounds and the preparations for the regular annual schedule also needed to be taken care of. Still, the quality of the classes couldn't be sacrificed, nor could the management of the students be neglected.
With things happening as they had been, the professors and faculty members of the school had to work while losing hours of sleep. From senior professors all the way to the new junior professors.
Academic conferences were also being held once or twice a week, but every time the list of work needed to be done has been suddenly updated. And the situation of the school itself had been changing so frequently that the cycle had been moved up even more.
For the faculty and staff, it felt like hell.
"The investigation of Ed Rothstaylor's death is being concluded. The investigation into the situation is almost complete, and we are convinced that the vassals of House Rothstaylor were the true culprits behind it. As we here at Silvenia are just an education institution, the punishment should thus be transferred to the imperial family. So, once the facts are confirmed we need to report it."
Centered around the headmaster Obel Forsyth, all the veteran professors of each department as well as junior professors sat in the conference room.
Headmaster Obel inwardly let out a sigh as he listened to Professor Flubin's report.
After being the headmaster for decades, you were bound to experience all sorts of incidents and accidents.
In particular, the case of Ed Rothstaylor's death…the reasoning behind it was obvious.
Even though he was excommunicated, he was a son of Duke Rothstaylor. In addition to that, the culprit behind the incident were vassals of House Rothstaylor. It seemed almost certain that the murder was due to internal circumstances within the family, such as disputes over succession rights or disputes amongst each other.
It was a headache-inducing case.
The incident itself took place on school grounds, but it was difficult to fully grasp the truth of the situation since it was caused by an internal strife between the powerful.
First of all, Rothstaylor Mansion itself was quite far away from Silvenia Academy. Even if they could investigate it, they still didn't have the right to search and question one of the most powerful houses in the empire.
Even though they desperately want to search for the most likely suspect of the murder, Tanya Rothstaylor… In the current situation, getting the attention of House Rothstaylor wouldn't be very pleasant.
In the end, the only thing the faculty of Silvenia Academy could do was accurately determine the facts of what had taken place on school grounds, then transfer the case itself to the imperial court. After all, from the judge's point of view the only ones in a position to evaluate and judge someone from such a powerful house were the imperial family.
Once they transferred the case over, there was no way to know how things would turn out.
The relationship between the imperial family and the Rothstaylor family had always been quite fickle. It was completely unknown how the event would affect the overall political world.
"I have also checked the situation at the crime scene through the use of thoughtography magic. The weather during the incident wasn't great, so it was impossible to accurately reproduce the scene. However, the testimony of the witness Yennekar Palerover seemed to be correct. We were able to confirm that it was the vassals that stabbed the victim, Ed Rothstaylor, and he did in fact fall off the cliff."
"Then it's pretty much safe to say that his death is certain."
"Falling over the cliff after suffering an attack from a weapon imprinted with a deadly poison… it seems to be certain."
"Finalize all of the facts and prepare to deliver them to the imperial family. Before that though, make sure to receive the payment."
Professor Flubin bowed his head as if to say he understood.
The fellow professor continued to look at Professor Flubin with pitiful eyes.
Professor Flubin, a senior professor of monster studies, was already busy with classes because he was quite popular among the students. Unfortunately for him, he just happened to be in charge of the education district the night of the incident, forcing him to take care of all the investigation work.
Even though the workload was large enough that even having two separate bodies wasn't enough, he still took care of everything without a problem. Except for the fact that he constantly looked exhausted.
"Next is… That's right. The attack on Ophelis Hall by the top student, Lucy Mayreel. I was too busy to attend the disciplinary committee that day…"
"According to the recommendation of the Ophelis Hall's head maid, the disciplinary measure that passed was thirty days of probation."
"It's a pretty light punishment. Was the investigation behind the incident also completed properly?"
"Yes, I looked through everything carefully."
The discourse was between the Headmaster Obel and the Deputy Headmistress Rachel.
While the top two members of Silveria Academy discussed, the rest of the faculty members in the conference room fell silent. There was no one that had the authority to intervene in a conversation between the two.
"It was an individual act taken by Lucy after being deeply shocked by the death of Ed Rothstaylor. There were no casualties, with only a small amount of property damage. In addition, there was a commotion as the students were forced to evacuate in the middle of the night. Though everything ended well when Lucy, who was the cause of the ruckus, was eventually stopped. She then sat down in the rose garden waiting for our arrival"
"She had been stopped?"
Headmaster Obel Forsyth knew well of Lucy's abilities in magic.
She acted like a veteran in terms of practical experience, and she also was well versed academically as well. She was one that he considered to be comparable to the legendary archmage Glockt.
Lucy Mayreel. The top student that even Obel himself felt nervous about going up against. A genius of the generation and the pride of Silvenia.
None of the students residing in Ophelis Hall nor any of the staff working there would be able to stop such a girl. If there was such a person, Obel was unaware of them.
"Yes. The second year's combat department's top student, Clevius Nortondale, had defended the entrance to Ophelis Hall up until the end. We are preparing a commendation for him from the school."
"Was he really a student with such capabilities?"
"In terms of his capabilities, it seemed that it was a situation in which he was overwhelmingly pushed back. Though, it seemed that he was barely able to bear through it til the end with his mental strength."
"Is that so? That's quite impressive."
The current second years had many outstanding individuals when compared to the other grades.
Lucy Mayreel, Ziggs Eiffelstein, Taylee McLaure, Lortel Kehelland, Ayla Triss, Elvira Aniston, Adele Cerise… There were quite a few of them, from those that stood in the spotlight from the start and those that slowly proved their achievement as time passed.
Among all of them, Clevius Nortondale had a cowardly temperament that was too disruptive for his position as the head of the combat department. It made it difficult to fit his name in such a line up, but… Looking at the incident, he was definitely impressive enough to get recognition.
"Certainly, there have been quite a lot of incidents lately… But I believe these are all just small branches that stemmed from one main incident. Above all else… The ramifications of Ed Rothstaylor's death went beyond our imagination. I haven't figured it out yet… but he must have been a student that had a strong influence over many people."
Obel sat down in a proper position as he organized the situation. In the end, the big incident that caused it all was the sudden death of Ed Rothstaylor.
"The case of Ed Rothstaylor's death has been entrusted to Professor Flubin. Professor Altman has confirmed the details behind Lucy Mayreel's rampage. And Deputy Headmistress Rachel will be in charge of the student Clevius' award.
Certainly… It seems to be events that all sprouted from a single incident, but since the work is being handled by several different professors, the efficiency of work isn't going to be all that great."
"Yes, that is certainly true."
"Then, wouldn't it be much more efficient for a single professor to take care of all of it? Is there someone that could be recommended as a suitable person to take responsibility…?"
Silence among the faculty.
Even just listening to the explanation was a major pain. There were a ridiculous number of things to be in charge of, and the handling of all of it was complicated as well. It was something that no one would willingly or hastily say, 'I'll take care of it.'
"Hmm… Someone who knows a little bit about Ed Rothstaylor, and is in contact with Clevius as well as Lucy… Were there any professors like that in the magic department?"
All of a sudden… The professors' eyes all moved to one side. Obel also shifted his gaze towards the direction following the atmosphere of the room.
A person sitting in one corner of the conference room, quietly blackening a corner of a document with a quill, frowned as she raised her head.
Her fluttering blonde hair went past her shoulders and all the way to the base of her shoulder blades. Looking around the conference room, half dazed, she suddenly became startled upon realizing they were talking about her.
"Uh… Uhmm…"
"Assistant Professor Cleoh…?"
Was it really appropriate to say that she was someone blessed with the power of good relations from the gods? She was someone already famous among all the professors.
In the first place, there was no one else like her.
Even if you were to just look at the assistants belonging to her lab… The head teacher's assistant, Anise. The victim of the case, Ed Rothstaylor. The Blade Demon of House Nortondale, Clevius Nortondale. And a master of flying magic, Onyx.
And she was even a professor of the magic department. Plus, since she is the youngest professor, there was no one else that they were more comfortable throwing work at.
"I… Uhm… Uh…"
About to burst into tears, Cleoh scourged her head to the utmost, trying to look for an excuse. But the escape route had already been blocked.
Cold sweat poured out of her like a flood.
"I-I'll work hard on it, immediately…!"
It was a death sentence.
***
"Why are you only doing this to me? I was just about to finish all the work that had been pushed on me throughout the break! All I wanted to do was be in charge of the class I was assigned and think of ways to spend my life here at the school in more relaxed manner…!"
A tall tower of papers piled up on Assistant Professor Cleoh's desk. All of which had been transferred from Professor Flubin and Professor Altman.
It looked as if it would take an entire month just to read.
"This… How am I supposed to take care of all of this…!"
Assistant Professor Cleoh buried her face in her desk, crying. It had already become an everyday occurrence to see.
"The days when I was a student were great… I want to live the entirety of my life as a student… I hate this kind of heavy workload…"
Fortunately, all of the assistants in her lab were ones that were quick yet did a good job with their work.
In particular, Anise, who was the head assistant. Clevius was a bit inexperienced in paperwork, but he was still very good when it came to practical or physical work. Onyx was also a top student that was able to handle the majority of things well, which made it a much easier environment compared to other labs.
Still, Ed Rothstaylor wasn't there. It was sad.
Even though he didn't look it, he was a student that was quite pleasant to have around and who always properly took care of their work. It had been quite some time since he had been plagued with those awful rumors about him, but it didn't seem like he ever struggled or paid much attention to them.
"Haah…"
As things had gotten quite complicated, Assistant Professor Cleoh let out a deep sigh.
With both arms supporting her chin, she looked into the air as she lamented.
"I guess it's true that you never know how a person's life will end up. Even in our own lives, we really have no idea how things will pan out… so we should always try to live each day to its fullest worth."
"Th-That's nice to hear, but… A-Are you really the one who should say that, Assistant Professor Cleoh…?"
The one that responded was Clevius, with bandages wrapped around his body.
Although he was injured quite a bit, by his nature he was born with fast recovery. His body, which had been completely injured in an intense battle with Lucy, had already recovered as he came back to work as a teaching assistant.
After all, there were very few opportunities that could fund his tuition as efficiently as being a teaching assistant.
"Oh, Clevius. What makes you say that? I'm living a life to my fullest, you know. Now, here. Just look at all this work…"
"Ah, yes…"
While exchanging useless words, suddenly Assistant Professor Cleoh's eyes turned to the other side of the worktable.
In the middle of a large square table, the assistants were all arranging the piles of papers in front of them.
Assistant Professor Cleoh felt a great sense of incongruity seeing Anise Haylan, the head assistant, quietly sipping tea in the corner and looking over the documents.
"Anise… It seems like you don't have much energy these days."
"Hm? Me?"
"Yeah. Did you not realize? These days you don't speak all that much."
Anise brushed aside her light gray hair as she brought the teacup to her mouth. The elegance in her appearance still remained.
When people described Anise's appearance while she was walking with Clara, everyone said the same thing.
A commoner-like aristocrat and an aristocratic commoner.
Unlike Clara, who was always bright and easygoing, Anise always maintained an elegant and proper appearance in each and every action she takes. She was more aristocratic than an aristocrat.
However, when working as a teacher assistant she would proudly roll up her sleeves as she actively worked on every little thing. And the results of her actions were clear… It became natural that every single professor wanted her to join their own lab.
"Definitely, without Ed here it feels rather empty…"
"Th-That's…"
Anise, who was drinking tea with her eyes half open, suddenly made a slip of the tongue.
The emptiness that Assistant Professor Cleoh had mentioned was in regard to the emptiness of losing a colleague that worked as a teaching assistant in the same lab.
But Anise's grief was in a higher realm than that.
Certainly, Anise Haylan had strong feelings towards Ed Rothstaylor.
Unlike the rumors that claimed he was a good-for-nothing troublemaker, in actuality he was a man that was hardworking and capable. After all they had been through, she was sure of that fact.
However, Anise didn't show her emotions even by biting her lower lip.
That was because she wasn't someone that should be feeling such grief and emptiness from his loss.
Perhaps the person that suffered the most from the incident was her best friend, Yennekar Palerover.
The painful feeling that beat on her chest and filled her must have been completely insignificant compared to the pain that she must have been feeling.
Anise somehow managed to withstand the moisture that rose to the tip of her nose.
The image of him sitting next to her, shuffling through the papers, seemed to glimmer in her eyes. However, it was time to accept his absence.
Either way, it was a short relationship. There must surely be a better person out there in the wide, wide world.
As she comforted herself, she pushed down the sad emotions that suddenly rose in her chest along with the sip of her tea.
It was not the time to show feelings of grief. To put it simply, it was the time for her to comfort Yennekar, who had to be in great despair.
Regardless, she was planning to visit Yennekar later in the day. She could imagine just how depressed and struggling emotionally she would be during such a time… but a true friend wouldn't avoid her and would instead stand by her side.
Taking care of the emotions that were rising inside of her, Anise then started to complete her work step by step.
***
"Today I want to try curry…!"
"..."
Sitting on the outsider terrace of Laplace Bakery, Yennekar, who had been carrying a bunch of ingredients she bought over in the commercial district, put them down one by one. She continued to talk to Anise with a brightly lit up face.
"Anise, you're a good cook, right? What do you think? It's a little bit difficult for me to control the fire, so I was thinking of trying a dish that simmers over medium heat for a long period of time… I'm good at doing up ingredients, but I'm afraid to try a dish that I haven't made before…!"
"..."
"Hm, maybe not then? Have I been eating too many hot dishes recently? Still, people say that it's not good for the body to reduce one's intake of vegetables… How about something like a salad then?"
"Y-Yennekar…"
In front of Yennekar, who was lively like a flower that bloomed fully, talking about this and that, Anise stuttered.
"Th-These days, it seems like you're having a lot of fun cooking."
"Hm? I guess so…!"
The image that Anise had in her mind before coming to the bakery.
The image of Yennekar being in grief, sitting down with tears filling her eyes as she reminisced about her past with Ed, it all fell apart.
Yennekar's bright and lively appearance… rather than a girl in complete grief, she looked like a wife that had just begun her married life. Wondering if she was maybe imagining Yennekar smiling so brightly, acting all happy, Yennekar really did seem more energetic than usual.
Was this an appropriate reaction?
Wondering what was so great, Yennekar explained the great quality of ingredients that she had bought for a low price at the commercial district… Anise was left rather confused.
"Yennekar, Uhm… Did you hear the news…? You heard it, right?"
"Hm? News? What news? Ah…, Ack…"
There was no way that she hadn't heard of the news.
It was the most unsettling piece of news that was going around the school these days. And thinking back to the reports she had just compiled, it was Yennekar herself who had testified about the culprit behind Ed's murder.
Yennekar Palerover surely knows about Ed's death.
So, what was with her lively attitude?
Ed's death would never have such a light impact on Yennekar.
So why did Yennekar look like that now…?
Suddenly, goosebumps appeared all over Anise's body.
Yennekar was good at cooking since she had good dexterity, but she wasn't the type to enjoy cooking to that extent.
And considering Yennekar's recent behavior… It doesn't seem like much had changed from before Ed's death.
And it seemed that, whenever she got the chance, she disappeared off towards the north of the island. Before Ed died, one would think that she was going off to meet him… But there shouldn't have been a reason for Yennekar to go to the North Forest so often anymore.
That, along with the overlapping observation of her recent and sudden interest in cooking, made awful images start to bloom in Anise's head.
An empty cabin.
A figure of Yennekar sitting alone in the camp, cutting up the ingredients with a kitchen knife.
There wasn't anyone there to eat the food, yet with dead empty eyes she continued to serve it… And with no one there to listen, she continued to say kind words.
Sitting alone at the empty table, smiling without a soul around… she continued to repeat to herself all in vain.
"Get a hold of yourself, Yennekar."
Anise suddenly burst into tears as she clasped Yennekar's hands tightly.
"He's… He's already gone…! He's dead…!"
Finally letting out those words from her mouth, no one was more hurt than herself.
Her heart started to well up as strength went to her hands, which were clasping Yennekar's tightly.
"Now… You have to come and accept it…!"
"A-Anise…?"
After saying that, Anise hugged Yennekar tightly… And only then did she realize. The one who wanted to be comforted more than anyone else was herself.
"Even if you pretend to be okay… the dead will never come back…!"
"…A-Anise…"
Only then did Yennekar realize… as she began to pat Anise on the back while embracing her.
"..."
[ Miss Yennekar. Right now, is this okay? ]
"Sh… Shhhh…!"
Only then did Yennekar finally realize that the way she was acting was wrong… She began to break out in a cold sweat as she sat, ignoring the strange gazes from the spirits.
***
"The investigation from the school has also been completed to some degree."
They were in the reception room of the Royal Residence.
To be able to meet with Princess Penia on the spot, you would have to be a person of clear standing within Silvenia. Of course, she wouldn't just meet anyone.
You would have to be at least the level of Lortel Kehelland, who held power within the Elte Company, to be able to ask for a personal meeting with Princess Penia.
"It's quite unfortunate that Ed has died, but still… We have to take care of our academic schedule. Isn't that right, Princess Penia?"
"So, why have you come to talk to me?"
"I'm here to ask why you are hiding Tanya?"
Lortel's way of speaking with a smile on her face as she stabbed you right on the mark was quite tiring to deal with for anyone.
Penia miraculously managed to maintain her gentle expression, but Lortel still frankly stated that she knew it all.
"Did you know that everything that goes on here in Acken Island's commercial district is in the palm of my hand?"
The entire business district of the commercial district was under the control of the Elte Company. It was already clear that all the money that circulated there would leave Elte, only to come back to them.
Having been the one to put the money in the hands of the people, it was no different than them owning the people themselves.
Lortel's eyes and ears were spread out everywhere within the commercial district.
It wasn't difficult to guess Tanya's movements by asking eyewitness information. Even though there wasn't any physical proof, there were still personal statements she could go off of.
The best place for Tanya to personally reach out and ask for help from was almost certainly the Royal Residence. A place that even the school itself couldn't touch hastily.
Therefore, by collecting information from the people around the road leading to the royal residence, the outline was clear.
The fellow merchants, as well as the other aristocratic students that Tanya could ask for help from, all played a decisive role in giving personal statements about her whereabouts.
Tanya was being hidden by Princess Penia. Even now, it seemed that the school had not yet been able to determine her whereabouts.
Lortel had come to that conclusion from the beginning, but didn't tell anyone else about it. She didn't even tell Ed Rothstaylor, who she loved so dearly.
"You're talking nonsense, Lortel Kehelland."
"Isn't the atmosphere within the school quite chaotic? The election for the student council president is also coming up soon, so we should take care of these noisy things early on."
"Why is Miss Lortel looking for Miss Tanya in the first place?"
"To put it bluntly, personally I still have some pent-up emotions about her."
Lortel smiled gracefully as she held the teacup that Penia's attendant had brought over up to her mouth.
"As you the Princess know quite well, I am an opportunistic and petty person… I am rather weak in front of those that I cannot be tough with, but when it comes to those weaker than me, I am much, much harder on them than anyone else."
"That's… not something to say so proudly."
"It's only natural to live by weighing your profits. It may seem rather mean that I am docile in front of the strong and harsh in front of the weak, but taking a step back and thinking about it, isn't that only natural?"
Seeing her smile so brightly, Princess Penia felt rather uncomfortable.
"House Rothstaylor is a group that is of quite high standing, to the point that even the imperial family that I'm a part of isn't in a spot that we can deal with them carelessly. So, whether the successor, Miss Tanya, is weaker than Miss Lortel or not…"
"Who can say? I'm only a person that judges everything based on interests."
Lortel didn't lose a single word to the Princess.
"I'm only a merchant doing business here on Acken Island, right?"
No matter what family of royalty you came from, going against the deputy head of the Elte Company was by no means an easy feat.
If it were a matter that involved the entire empire, then of course it was more important to carry the glory of House Rothstaylor on their backs, but… It wasn't a matter that took place on the empire's territory. They were on Acken Island, which was far off and secluded.
High status and great power were widespread and prevalent in Silveria Academy. Princess Penia and Saint Clarice were just unusually high and noble amongst them all.
In Silveria, a land of learning, the public order was completely different from the empire's capital. And no matter what happened, it would take two or three days at least for the news of what took place on Acken Island to reach the capital.
In two or three days… It was an amount of time that wasn't unusual for a person's entire fate to shift in another direction.
"I am a person that lives and dies for money."
The fox laughed.
"And the entire commercial district here on Acken Island is completely under my control."
Princess Penia could clearly see the inside of Lortel.
From the outside, Silvenia was a land of learning where the virtue of learning took precedence. However, digging a little underneath the water, the flow of gold coins that came from that place all ended up leading to that girl's wallet.
"So, unless you're a person capable of overturning the power structure here on Acken Island… Who should you look out for? Of course, if Princess Penia or Saint Clarice were to think otherwise, then it would be different. How could I ever go against your opinions?"
She said that with a bright smile on her face, but Princess Penia knew. Those words she spouted were just to show respect to the imperial family.
If she really wanted to, she could use all kinds of trickery to twist, break, and even ignore the opinions of Princess Penia.
If she were to gather the central power of the imperial family, then she could easily suppress Lortel. However, being the third princess, Penia didn't have that kind of influence. Unfortunately, they were in outlying territory, where the influence of the central power was relatively weak. If they were in the empire's capital, their positions would have been the opposite, but that was a meaningless premise to think about.
What was the point of all the power that she received from her noble lineage and the various ceremonies and ceremonial power she wielded? Princess Penia furrowed her brow.
"So, I need to find Miss Tanya… And then, my 'personal business' will be finished."
"There isn't a reason for me to care about Miss Lortel's personal business."
Penia drew a line at once. She wasn't trying to dig the hole any deeper or imply that she was personally involved with hiding Tanya.
In fact, Lortel had risen to the point of being nothing more than a black curtain of the commercial district. If she wanted to stop her somehow… Ultimately, she would need internal power that could definitely put pressure on her vested interests.
Only then would Lortel have to be wary of something, and she would have a weapon to use against her. For example… the power of the student council president.
The student council president had the authority to suggest creating various new facilities in the commercial district, removing the operating guidelines, and even receiving the customs rule that coordinates the flow of goods.
Even though it was only the authority to suggest something, in reality, even the school couldn't completely ignore the opinions of the student council president. After all, the student council president was supported by the students. In other words, it was the same as getting the support of all the various aristocrats and their power.
"..."
Lortel talked up now but didn't say any more.
Tanya's life was being threatened by Lortel. At least, that was what she would think.
It was unknown when House Rothstaylor's support would arrive. That was because, unless Kadek and Nox were released, the house wouldn't be able to receive an accurate report of the situation.
She couldn't run away easily, either. All routes out of Acken Island were within Lortel's grasp.
In the end, to save Tanya from Lortel… the only choice was to become the student council president.
At that moment, that fact became clear.
***
Lortel finished her work as she left the royal residence and got into the carriage.
As the coachman wielded his whip, the carriage slowly moved forward.
Underneath the robe that covered her, she had a wide smile. A soft light gleamed from her amber eyes.
The political situation of the school had become chaotic.
And it was only Lortel that fully grasped the entire picture.
-x-X-x-
As the student council president election drew closer, the atmosphere within the school was also getting tenser.
There seemed to already be a general consensus among students as to which students would announce their candidacy. Among them, interest in Princess Penia shot up to the sky. Even the students that weren't interested in anything other than schoolwork were waiting for her declaration of candidacy.
"As of this morning, Lortel Kehelland has announced that she will run for student council president."
The news brought over by Claire, her escort knight, had Princess Penia taken rather aback.
"The Elte Company's… Lortel Kehelland…? She said it herself?"
"Yes."
Princess Penia tilted her head, showing her astonishment.
Lortel Kehelland was a powerhouse that worked under the water. She wasn't the kind of person to seek a position on the surface.
Also, Lortel was already busy taking care of business for the Elte Company. There was no way she would be able to take the seat of student council president due to the heavy workload that came with it. If she really did take such a position, it was safe to say she would barely have the time to take care of the work for the Elte Company.
Knowing Lortel's personality, she didn't think that she would make such a choice.
However, there was no way that Claire's information was wrong. She was always carefully selecting what to bring, making sure to double and triple check it.
"It's actually not that strange… What's certain is that, since she's already in full control of the commercial district, if she becomes the student council president… She will be able to rule over Silvenia like a king. As much as I possibly can… I want to stop her."
"But as the Princess…"
"However… I still have no intention of becoming the student council president."
Princess Penia quickly cut off Claire's words.
After putting down her teacup on top of the luxurious table in her private room of the royal residence… After thinking for a moment, Penia finally came to her conclusion.
"I need to go and see Miss Tanya in the guest room."
***
"This isn't a situation where you can just hide forever, Miss Tanya."
Even though it was on the first floor of the royal residence, you would have to walk all the way down the hallway and take several turns just to reach the guest room.
It was a secluded space, where no one aside from the cleaning staff had a reason to visit.
Due to the geography of Acken Island, which was located on the outskirts of the empire, it was rare for a guest of nobility to come over and stay. Therefore, the guest room was built following architectural conventions but wasn't really meant to be used.
Still, right now it was acting as a home for Tanya, who was on the run. So, thinking about it, it wasn't a total waste to have.
When Princess Penia entered the room, Tanya was quietly sitting at a table, trembling.
"Princess Penia…"
"I don't know what type of relationship Ed Rothstaylor and Lortel Kehelland had while he was still alive, but… Either way, that merchant seemed determined to trap you, Miss Tanya."
The image of Lortel always supporting Ed Rothstaylor was a clear memory for Princess Penia.
There's no way to know exactly what type of relationship the two of them had, but at the very least she was able to infer that Lortel thought of Ed as someone very meaningful to her.
"Anyway, whatever you end up deciding to do, Miss Tanya, the first thing is that you have to do is get rid of the charges of you being the one behind the death of Ed Rothstaylor."
"But… No matter how much I think about it, with all the circumstantial evidence, I clearly look like the culprit. This… This isn't good."
"…Then, I have no choice but to ask for your opinion."
Princess Penia swept her shiny platinum hair to one side as she sat down at the table opposite of Tanya.
Looking at the girl, who had fiery blonde hair and features similar to Ed Rothstaylor, she recalled the man that had abruptly died in vain before she had the chance to make up for her mistakes with him.
Although he was no longer in this world, she promised to not repeat the same mistake twice.
"If Miss Tanya wasn't the one who ordered Ed Rothstaylor's murder, then who do you think was the one that did?"
That question was related to the suspicions that Princess Penia had been holding in for a long time now.
The darkness of House Rothstaylor was completely unknown. If even a fragment of it could be found… Then lending a hand to Tanya wouldn't be pointless.
"That…"
Tanya lowered her gaze as she hesitated.
Kadek and Nox, who were being accused as the murderers, were longtime vassals of House Rothstaylor.
Having such a status meant that they were no longer considered independent individuals. Instead, it meant that they carried the prestige of the House on their backs. The two of them were educated to be careful of their every action, so as to not tarnish the House's name.
So, what were the chances of such a person committing a murder that the House itself had no interest in?
Even though they came all the way to Acken Island as a dispatched assistant, only to stab and kill the master they used to serve in the past… there was no way it was all just arbitrary.
Their plans had become tangled, making their crimes come to light, but in any case… There still must have been a black curtain behind the scenes that ordered the murder.
"Th-That's… It was probably…"
Tanya knew it, too. Aside from him… there weren't many that could order Kadek and Nox to take such an extreme action.
She began to think of him as the most likely suspect.
And that was… the father that she highly respected. Krepin Rothstaylor.
No one else could order Kadek and Nox to kill Ed Rothstaylor.
"..."
Looking at Tanya's hesitation, Princess Penia was able to infer who was behind it. In the first place, she was also somebody that already had her own doubts about the hidden underside of Krepin Rothstaylor.
Still, she didn't press her any further. The fact that her father, whom she believed and followed her entire life, did such a thing without a thought… For Tanya, that fact would be a difficult truth for her to accept.
"…The reason Kaden and Nox came to Silvenia… Assisting me was all just an excuse… In actuality, it was probably in order to kill my older brother, Ed."
Suddenly, as if she had finished organizing her thoughts, Tanya slowly spoke.
"Miss Tanya…"
"I… I was just a puppet."
Tanya lowered her head as she quietly spoke.
Looking back, Tanya's entire life was like that.
How many times has she achieved something by her own judgment?
Growing up, all she ever did was sit still and bear with the pain under Ed's tyranny.
Then, after arriving at Silvenia… The only thing she had done was lift her chin high, walking around under Rothstaylor's glory as if she had accomplished something herself.
Nothing in Tanya's life could have been accomplished without the name Rothstaylor.
Other than the fact that she was a daughter born into an incredible family, she was just a girl of young age that studied quite a bit.
As if that fact had struck her again, she sniffled with her head lowered.
Still, she didn't shed any useless tears. After a moment, she looked back up at Penia and the frightened appearance she once had disappeared quite a bit. Penia was highly impressed to see her try and hold back her tears, forcing a strong expression on her face.
Every single member of House Rothstaylor was arrogant and greedy beyond belief.
Penia, who had believed in such a prejudice, had sent Ed away. But seeing Tanya like that… Little by little, the psychological prejudice she held against the Rothstavlors started to break down.
"I'll… I'll run for the student council president, Princess Penia."
"It won't be easy. After all, you've been accused of murder."
"That's right, it won't be easy… But thinking of those who helped me when my back was up against the corner, I can't just sit around depressed like this."
Tanya gripped the end of her skirt tightly as she nodded her head.
"My father, who never paid any attention to my older brother Ed. The reason he suddenly took such an extreme action was probably… Because I wrote about my brother in a letter that I sent him about my daily life."
"…Then, that means…"
"Yes, that's right. In a way… I was the one who brought my brother to such a horrific end."
Of course, it wasn't something that could be considered a crime. Tanya had only given an update about her life, like usual.
She couldn't have predicted that it would have led to Ed's death.
Regardless, the situation ended up like that.
"After coming to Silvenia, I realized something. Even though my older brother is no longer in this world, while he was here in Silvenia, a land of learning, many things about him had changed. And until the day my brother passed away, I couldn't let go of the doubts I held against him… Only now can I admit it."
She remembered the time she went to Ed's camp and was served tea.
She became resentful of the fact that she couldn't trust the heart of the boy named Ed. And the fact that she couldn't get rid of the suspicions she held against him.
After coming to Silvenia, devoting himself to his studies, and meeting many people, Ed had finally started to act like his original self from so long ago. It was so sudden that she couldn't admit it. And because of that, she could never show a loving smile to Ed, who had treated her with kindness.
If the cause of his death really was because of her actions, she has no choice but to carry it on her back.
The only way she could atone for his death was to make sure his death wasn't in vain. To continue living while bearing such a weight.
Motivation started to return to Tanya's eyes. Her once empty eyes began to shed a new light.
"I will stand on equal footing with Lortel and reach a place where she cannot easily have influence over me. At least here on Acken Island…she won't be able to threaten me recklessly."
"Running for student council with the current state of things… It's quite disadvantageous for you. More than anything, you're still being investigated by the school for murder."
"It's still just 'suspicion' and I'm only a 'potential suspect.' The charges haven't been finalized against me, so technically I'm not a criminal yet. There isn't any reason I wouldn't be able to run for student council president as long as I stop living in hiding and cooperate with the investigation. Plus, Kadek and Nox are currently keeping their mouths sealed, so it's safe to say that my charges won't be finalized until new evidence shows up."
Of course, it wasn't a matter that would just end with whether or not she was allowed to run for student council president under the regulations.
Being charged with murder was still a completely disadvantageous weakness for a candidate during an election. Chances were that people would view it as extremely arrogant of her to run for the position of student council president with such a weakness.
However, determination was written across Tanya's face.
Seeing Tanya like that, Princess Penia let out a soft smile.
"Then… I'll officially support you, Miss Tanya."
It wasn't possible for Tanya to not know the importance of receiving the official support of Princess Penia.
But the major political burden that Princess Penia would also be faced with in doing so… was also obvious.
When Tanya opened her round eyes and looked towards Penia, Penia had lowered her gaze, as if to tell her to not worry about it.
"I also have an unpaid debt I owed to Ed Rothstaylor when he was still alive."
Closing her eyes, she thought of various different reasons.
The first being that she couldn't sit still and watch the entire school get taken over by such a cruel merchant.
The second being that she couldn't just leave Tanya, who had her back against the corner, all alone.
And finally, the feeling of regret and debt she owed for not being able to apologize to Ed Rothstaylor in the very end… Penia raised her hand, reaching for Tanya's.
Who could have ever imagined? An alliance between Penia Elias Kroel and Tanya Rothstaylor.
***
[ C-Can I talk to him now? ]
[ Please just leave him alone. Mugg, if it were your business, he would have called on you. ]
[ But… He's been sitting on the rock for two hours without moving. It's going to be high tide soon, so shouldn't he start going back into the cave? ]
[ Do you think Young Master Ed is an idiot? When the water comes, he will move. ]
I could hear Lacia and Mugg arguing back and forth with each other.
Was it because I had been sitting down in deep thought for quite some time now that the spirits were starting to think something was strange?
Spirits didn't always stay nearby. Fluid spirits tended to wander around, while the completely independent high-ranking spirits did their own thing… Spirits sticking around you for a long period of time was much less common than you might think.
Yet Mugg and Lacia continued to linger around me, as if they had nowhere else to go.
So, whenever they thought something was strange, they would mummer to each other like that. On the other hand, Merilda barely spent any time near me. She wandered around the entire island as if it were all her domain, but when something important would take place, she would pop up in a flash. Because of that, it didn't really matter.
"Hmm…"
The thing I had been thinking about while I sat on the rock was the conversation I had with Lortel.
"I will sell the seat of the student council president."
"It won't be an easy task, but the return will be as great as the effort put in."
If my memory was correct… It was the steppingstone episode before the subjugation of the mid-boss of Act 3, 'The Disaster Alchemist, Claude.'
A storyline that changed the composition of characters around the main character, Taylee.
The villainous Tanya Rothstaylor would continue to compete against Princess Penia until the very end… and was ultimately defeated.
Even though she was introduced like a boss, she didn't really have a fighting sequence. That was because the student council president election in itself was nothing more than a battle for power within the school.
The main character Taylee was supposed to be actively supporting Princess Penia. All because Taylee had also been bullied by Ed Rothstaylor at the start of the school year. It was an inevitable fact that Taylee would always be hostile towards the members of House Rothstaylor.
His treatment towards Tanya Rothstaylor was the same. In the first place, Tanya is also a character that was portrayed as an arrogant villain.
Either way, Taylee was on the side of Penia, with the goal of trying to persuade the students. Of course, in the main storyline it wasn't possible for him to convince the entire school. Forcing the player to do something so boring would be bound to make the game fall part.
So, Taylee's job in the storyline was… to meet the top students of each grade and convince them to support Penia. Systematically, receiving the support of the top students of each grade could be the difference in whether a candidate was elected or not.
As long as you could convince five of the eight students, Penia would be elected, and Tanya would be defeated in an unpleasant fashion after continuing to resist up to the very end.
While trying to persuade each student, various sub-quests asked by each character were introduced. And the quest conditions required by each student were all different. I remembered having a major headache over that part.
"I know that the support of the top students is extremely important…"
I muttered to myself as I scratched my chin a few times.
Being reasonable, the number of students that could be persuaded in each grade was two.
First year magic department's top student Joseph, and the alchemy department's top student, Claude.
Second year combat department's top student Clevius, and the alchemy department's top student Elvira.
Third year combat department's top student Drake, and the alchemy department's top student Atalanta.
Fourth year combat department's top student Daike, and the magic department's top student Trayciana.
Having the support of five of the eight top students was a key condition to winning the election.
First year's combat department's top student Wade was already supporting Princess Penia and the fourth year's alchemy department's top student Dorothy was already supporting Tanya. So, the two of them were already out of the question.
In addition, in the end the second year's top magic student Lucy and the third year's top magic student Yennekar decided to not cast a vote. Lucy was annoyed by it all and Yennekar was just completely neutral.
"Hmm…"
If everything perfectly followed the original timeline, then that's how things would be. Of course, in actuality with the story progressing like it was, it had all become a mess.
The cracks appeared little by little in the 1st Act, but by the time of the 3rd, it had completely snowballed out of control. It was impossible to imagine just how the entire structure of the election had changed.
However, when we have to fight against Krepin later on, at the very least I hope that we will still have the support of Princess Penia and the power she has. I hope that at least that part of the storyline would stay the same.
Even if I couldn't make sure every single aspect was the same, as long as everything had been made so the bigger picture in the future is the same, that would be great.
But… I couldn't get over the words that Lortel had said.
"First off, I'm going to make Tanya the student council president. Through any means necessary."
With the small waves crashing against the shore in the background, she sat on a light brown rock as she hugged her knees and smiled.
It was clear that inside the head of the Elte Company's business magnate, it must be completely full of mischievous tricks and methods to achieve whatever she wanted.
When I had asked why she wanted to make Tanya the student council president, she answered just like I thought she would.
"Because she's your younger sister."
That answer that Lortel had put together inside her head was nothing more than perfect.
Whenever I start to think that it was the end of her scheme, a deeper section remained.
That was why I couldn't sit around and do nothing.
However… It's difficult to think of exactly what actions I could take. First off, I was still officially considered 'dead.'
Once I quickly got rid of uselessly having to fake my death, taking various actions would become so much easier.
***
"I have gathered all the relevant documents and articles. You really are running for student council president, acting deputy Lortel."
"Oh my, thank you Secretary Lienna. You can just leave it over here."
As if she were in a good mood, Lortel continued to hum as she gave brief instructions to the cute red-haired secretary.
Even though Lortel handled most of her work directly, without the need of a secretary, Lienna, a junior employee of the Silvenia Branch's Elte Store, still thought nothing much of being given the job. Surely, with Lortel having to take on the work for the student council election, her workload had just become too much to take care of by herself.
The strange thing was that she clearly knew that fact, yet she continued to run for student council president. Was she really planning to leave the company if she won?
"Miss Lortel. I…"
"Don't ask me any useless questions."
As if she knew what Lienna was wondering about, Lortel didn't stop flipping through the documents as she responded.
"Anyway… I have no intention of becoming the student council president."
"Sorry? Then, the documents…"
Suddenly, Lortel's hand—which had been dancing across the papers—stopped. Ink slowly spread under the unmoving quill.
"Can you only ask me things that are necessary?"
Although her smile looked like the most beautiful and loving thing in the world, Lienna suddenly got goosebumps as she apologized. She quickly closed the doors to the office as she left.
"Either way… I know everything~ that will happen…"
Tanya Rothstaylor was afraid of Lortel. Because right now, on the surface, it looked as if Lortel seemed to think Tanya was the one that killed Ed.
Keeping that position and openly hinting at revenge, Lortel became a 'whip' that pushed Tanya.
On the other hand, whether it was Penia or Tanya… They both had a strange sense of guilt and debt towards the officially deceased Ed Rothstaylor.
The psychological debt that formed from the fact they didn't recognize his sincerity, treated him harshly, and ignored him until the day he died… None of that would go away easily.
By leaving things as-is and constantly pushing the name Ed Rothstaylor into their consciousness, it would develop and become something like a sanctuary of sorts that could never be touched.
Then, once Ed Rothstaylor came back to life, all the accumulated debt and guilt that bloomed inside them would turn Ed Rothstaylor's actions and opinions into a 'carrot.' A bait that would be hard for the two of them to deny.
In doing so, as long as she continued to provoke their sense of guilt and debt to Ed Rothstaylor, it would eventually reach the point where they'd all fall into the palm of Ed's hands. As a person was mentally pushed into a corner, the more extreme change they would go through. And all of that made Lortel herself the whip.
The art of controlling something in the palm of one's hand through the idea of disappointment and recognition. She would be able to control them to her own taste.
Holding both the whip and carrot in her hands, she could slowly hand pick the next student council president in the palm of her hands. Like a puppeteer controlling a puppet.
She had spent half of her life working alongside the people that lived in a world of business. Now, a dirty struggle for power was as natural as breathing for Lortel.
***
"You know, Bell."
"24 days and 3 hours are left."
"..."
At that point, Bell had begun spitting out the answer like an automated machine.
However, the date didn't decrease.
Lucy sat on a chair in her private room with her knees bending back and forth as she tried to balance the chair at an angle.
Crash!
She suddenly lost her balance, falling over. She collapsed onto the floor as she looked up at the ceiling, but the world was still motionless.
"Kill me…"
"I can't do that."
"Kill me…!!!"
She was reflecting on the fact that she would never again be swept up in her emotions, blacking out, and causing a riot. But still, two-thirds of the price was still left to be paid.
Silence.
"..."
The face of the head maid Bell, who stood elegantly nearby, shone brightly—as if she were greatly relieved.
Lucy's face, on the other hand, was completely miserable and upset.
-x-X-x-
The Eagle Knight Kadek, The Brown Bear Knight Nox.
Two long standing knights of House Rothstaylor had become the obvious culprits of Ed Rothstaylor's death.
The two of them were locked up in a confinement room in Trix Hall. The allegations against them seemed almost guaranteed, so once the school finished their investigation, they would be transferred to the imperial family to pay for their crimes.
"Shit…"
Kadek, with his arms tied behind his back, leaned against the wall of an old basement room as he swore.
Under the pretext of helping Tanya with her large amount of work, he had traveled all the way to the far-off Acken Island. Although his real goal lied in the expensive dagger that he possessed, which was engraved with an extremely deadly poison.
He could never have imagined that his plans for the assassination, which he had painstakingly prepared, would have ended up like this. What he couldn't avoid was Lucy's strength, which was at a level that one couldn't deal with.
At first, Kadek didn't understand Krepin's intentions in assassinating the excommunicated Ed in such a way.
Kadek and Nox were both knights that had assisted Ed when he was the heir to the House, before ending up as secretaries for Krepin, who was working with imperial affairs. They were well aware of just how ruined Ed Rothstaylor had become after becoming the heir to the house.
Did power really have the effect of corrupting a person so easily?
Ed, who had been intoxicated with the sweet scene of becoming the heir, quickly became violent and showed the worse side of himself. Thus, the ever-benevolent Duke Krepin had come to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to send Ed to Silvenia, the land of learning, to become educated.
It had been a little over a year since his accident in Silvenia, which led to him being excommunicated… So, what was the reason behind his order to kill the old heir now, when he had already left the house?
But in the end, the two knights only needed to follow orders. Duke Krepin had always been a prudent and wise man.
"Kadek…"
On the other side of the wall, Knox was tied up like Kadek. Leaning against the wall, he spoke.
"No matter how much I think about it… I think Duke Krepin's judgment was correct…"
The brown bear knight Nox laid his large body over on one side and spoke as if he were laminating.
Kadek quietly closed his eyes for a moment upon hearing Nox's words before nodding.
Kadek and Knox were both valuable individuals with the skills at a level where, no matter where they went, they would never get pushed back. In fact, simply looking at strength there was never a need for the both of them to fight against Ed together.
Ed Rothstaylor didn't have any talent in swordsmanship or magic, so just from basic specs alone they were more than enough to defeat him.
Still, they had both decided to rush at him at the same time to make sure that everything went according to plan. Yet, they couldn't do anything.
Kadek was only able to kill Ed Rothstaylor because he had allowed him to stab his chest.
Kadek's hands still remembered the moment he had driven the dagger through Ed's chest. The feeling of the dagger piercing through his flesh wasn't a pleasant one.
"He wasn't yet fully developed in terms of his abilities, but his adaptability and mastery in combat… If he were still alive, he really might have become a great threat to House Rothstaylor."
Even though they weren't sure if Ed Rothstaylor would ever show any hostility or plot against House Rothstaylor … they were sure that if he were left alone, he really might have ended up becoming an issue for them.
They weren't sure how Krepin knew of Ed's situation in Acken Island when he was so far away, all the way in the empire's capital. But his judgment was correct.
Besides his abilities in fighting, there are also the relationships he had around him. It seemed that he had become close to a few people while here.
The third-year top student, Yennekar Palerover, who was ready to burn all of her resonance to summon an ultimate spirit.
Then there was Lucy Mayreel who had become enraged at Ed's death, going all the way over to Ophelis Hall in an instant wreaking havoc… Kadek and Nox realized just how heavy of a presence the person they had killed had.
If he had been left alone, he really might have become an independent force of massive strength that would act as a major obstacle for the house to overcome.
"It seemed that there were some aspects of his combat abilities that had not yet been polished… but if he could supplement that, we would probably be…"
"…Saying such things now is useless. What we have to worry about now is… we have to somehow report this entire situation to the head of the house."
They continued to keep their mouth shut to the school, who was demanding and threatening them to reveal the entire story.
The two remained completely silent despite the threat that they could be sentenced to death if passed onto the Imperial Family. From the school's standpoint, the fact that the investigation wasn't making any progress was extremely frustrating.
"Young Lady Tanya…"
However, if one thing did bother them it was Tanya Rothstaylor, who was being looked at in suspicion.
Originally, they had planned to take care of it without getting found out, then take care of Tanya by helping her with her work and lightening her load, before leaving Silvenia.
But with things becoming twisted up like they had, they felt sorry for Tanya, who was taking all the heat.
But there was no way for them to apologize, nor was there a way to atone. They were locked away with their limbs tied up, sitting in a corner of a room and waiting for their punishment.
There wasn't any way to report the situation to Krepin or atone to Tanya. It was a complicated situation they were stuck in.
Clink.
Then, the sound of a lock to their door opening.
Wondering if they were being brought food to eat, they looked towards the door. However, the person there wasn't a guard.
"Y-You…"
A young man. Wearing a crude leather tunic and a thin jacket… It was the first time they'd seen him.
The money bag that hung around his waist looked heavy as it jangled a bit each time he walked.
Seeing someone carry that much money around with them looked suspicious.
Just as they were going to ask who the hell he was, the man raised his index finger, making a 'shhhh' sound and quickly quieting the two of them.
He took out a dagger as he loosened the bindings on their arms and legs. He carefully spoke with a quiet voice.
"I go by Dune. I'm a decoy for the Elte Company."
Elte Company. As soon as they heard the name, Kadek and Nox had a puzzled expression across their faces.
"I understand why you would make such a face. This situation must not make a lot of sense. How did an informant for the Elte Company end up entering such a place? Well… does that even really matter? We are a business that always appears like a ghost where the smell of money is."
There was someone behind all of it. A black curtain that no one could see.
Even though they knew as much, the two of them didn't say a word.
"Anyway, the way out through the south of Onyx Hall will be loosely guarded tomorrow at dawn. If you run down the south shore and keep going down the shoreline, you will find an old boat."
"…You want us to believe that?"
"Do you have another option?"
Kadek and Nox didn't answer.
"Don't worry. When chaos erupts when the two of you escape, there will be people who will benefit from it. That's all it is."
Nox lifted his head looking at the door that was slightly open. Obviously, the security guard was still sitting in the hallway. However, he was just staring out the window with his head tilted while holding onto a javelin.
He looked to be a security guard that had been working there for a long time. Just how much money was needed to buy out someone like that?
Of course, Kadek and Nox didn't care about that.
***
Living in the cave by the cliff side was a period of intensive training for me.
Back in the camp, where I had to maintain both my academic school life and survival, most of my day consisted of taking care of my food, clothing, and shelter.
It was all because I had to save up as much money as possible. I wanted to pass the entire school year with excellence, and I didn't want to give up on living in a decent environment.
However, in the brief period where I was living in seclusion, I no longer had to spend such time and effort to maintain a basic life.
Yennekar took care of my food, clothing, and shelter. And for the time being, I couldn't even participate in classes. Plus, I had to leave the camp alone.
However, I couldn't just play around all day. So, I decided to think of it as a precious time where I could fully devote myself to training.
It wasn't in my nature to waste something. That was especially true when it came to the valuable commodity known as time.
I had to take advantage of this period to have a meaningful and productive growth. Determined, I trained my body really hard all day long, fighting mock battles with the spirits and indulging in magic books.
Now that my efforts, which were once divided into academic life, survival, and keeping the storyline in check, had all been completely focused into one area—my training—the results had become more evident than I thought.
The sun rose and set. The moon rose and set.
Cumulus clouds filled the blue sky, and the dazzling stars filled the night sky.
All the while, my routine didn't change at all.
After waking up in the morning and repeating my basic strength training, I ate with Yennekar. Then, I indulged in magic books all day long until the late afternoon, where I repeatedly went into combat against the spirits that Yennekar summoned.
Also, I constantly repeated the process of disassembling and reassembling magically engineered items to help memorize the basic designs in my head. I also continued to raise my proficiency with the bow.
Simply repeating training day after day seemed to have weak results at first. After all, it was difficult to tell if there was any meaningful change that came with constant effort.
The important thing was that change would steadily come, little by little. Progress tended to be that way.
Even as time continued to pass, my daily routine didn't change.
The time I spent doing physical fitness training with buckets of water on my shoulder, training in magic, and working on my magically engineered… The daily routine I had stayed the same, and the only thing that changed was the news that Yennekar told me.
"I heard that Tanya has reappeared at school. She had been hiding in the Royal Residence, but she seems to have decided to actively cooperate with the investigation in order to prove her innocence. Still… the public opinion of her at school isn't very good. Everyone seems to believe that Tanya was the one that killed you. It makes sense, but… It's still upsetting… I really hope things will finish up quickly so we can go and defend her… Ah, that's right… I'm going to make a vegetable salad today. Ed, are there any vegetables that you don't eat?"
The day I was walking around the rocky cliffside with buckets of water in both hands.
"Princess Penia seems to have officially declared her support for Tanya. Although it's not the election period yet, once it's certain that Tanya will run for the seat it seems that Princess Penia will be completely on her side. But… Doesn't that mean Princess Penia won't run? Ah, that's right. I got detergent from Ophelis Hall, and it completely removes stains, right? Look, look at this! The shirt is completely clean~"
The day I read through a magic book that dealt with the theory and practical application of intermediate magic three times.
"Students that are in support of Lortel within the school seem to be gathering now. Thinking of it now, Lortel would probably be better at representing student's rights and their interest if she became the student council president. As expected… she does have that very perfectionist type of impression to her… The nominees haven't even been finalized yet, but it already seems that conflict is brewing from the atmosphere… But Ed, the last time, when Lortel had come to the cave… What did you do…?"
"..."
"A-Ah, no… It's not something I should meddle in, but…!!"
The day I spent the entire time extracting the most useful materials from the broken Dell Heim's Hourglass and drawing blueprints to craft a different legendary grade magically engineered item, 'Glockt's Eye.'
"Ed! Look at this~! Ta-da~ I brought over leftovers from Dex Hall's canteen.~"
The day I set up a target to practice my bow.
Suddenly, looking back at Yennekar that day… Something felt strange.
A bright blouse full of energy and a dark blue skirt. Her sleeves were rolled up with confidence… As if she was going to start cooking, she had a piece of cloth tightly tied around her head in the shape of a triangle.
Looking at her now, it was hard to say if she was really the best elementalist in the school or if she was just some housekeeper.
The person that had been helping me the most during my period of seclusion and intensive training was none other than Yennekar. Realizing that fact, my heart was suddenly touched.
Seeing Yennekar like that, I could almost mistake her for having wings on her back.
Wiping my face as I tried to settle those strange feelings, Yennekar smiled as if she was waiting for me to say something.
No matter how I saw it… receiving that much help from her while only reaping the benefits… It was weighing way too heavy on my conscience…!
"Yennekar. Is there something you want?"
"Hm?"
"I wanted to give you something. Suddenly seeing you like this… I just… Had that thought."
Yennekar tilted her head before quickly starting to blush.
"N-No… A present… That's…"
"…Never mind. I'll think about it myself."
"Uhmm. Huh?"
Yennekar suddenly shrugged her shoulders as she trembled. She then began to press down on the corners of her mouth.
In the first place, Yennekar was the type of person that wasn't good at asking others to do things. Asking her what she wanted would be too much of a burden on her, so I'd have to think about it on my own first.
At the same time, there was an object I had in mind that came as a result from my training in Magic Engineering. It was pretty tricky to gather all the materials for it, but soon it would be summer so it probably wouldn't be all that difficult to finish.
"I-If I say I'm excited, would that be too burdensome? I-I won't have any expectations in the slightest, then! I really won't expect anything…! Since I shouldn't get excited… I'll just forget about it all!"
"..."
"…Saying that out loud it was quite rude… Sorry, Ed…"
The way she was stomping around nervously like that was very much like her, so I didn't say anything about it.
"A-Anyway, are you practicing the bow today? It doesn't look like you're going to do a practice battle with the spirits. If that's the case, I'll just be reading a book over here by the campfire…! I'll just cut some of the ingredients first…!"
"No, I'm going to do some practice battles today, but… I don't really need you to summon a spirit. There was a person that came by to say hello, so they will help me with my training."
"Hm? But you supposed to be officially dead no, Ed? Who came to say hi…?"
Then, a boy came out from inside the cave patting his clothes.
A boy in a neat school uniform with long hair that hung down to the back of his neck.
"It's been a while, Yennekar. It seems you come here to this cave often."
The second-year magic department's runner up student, Ziggs Eiffelstein.
The timing was perfect.
Now that so much time had passed, I wanted to check the results of my training.
***
"Originally I came here to tell him some news about the student council president election, but… there was also some news about Miss Tanya and Princess Penia."
The cliffside where the waves crashed. The rocky terrain, which had been here for a long time, was relatively flat but not very wide.
It wasn't a great place to fight, but the battlefield wasn't always going to be a clean and spacious place.
Either way, since both of us had to fight in those unfavorable conditions, there wasn't any unfair advantages.
"Before I tell you, having a light match between us seems like fun. I haven't done much fighting recently, so it's about time I loosen my body up."
Ziggs drew his sword as he stood facing me. He threw the scabbard aside as he lightly shook the tip of the sword in the air a few times.
"Alright. It's a good day."
After I said that, the two of us started to distance ourselves from each other.
Ziggs held the sword in both hands as he took a deep breath.
"Then, I'll get started."
He lifted the sword straight up swinging it down vertically all at once. A clean slash came crashing down like a storm.
Single Slash. Although the most basic of combat skills, it was an honest technique in which the power of it was represented by the wielder's capabilities.
Boom!
There was a chance for me to avoid it, but I instead cast basic defense magic to block it. That was because I wanted to test my mana resonance level, which had become faster.
Ziggs' attack was blocked cleanly as it dissipated.
However, the first attack was meant as nothing more than a way to create an opening.
Ziggs lowered his posture as he pushed through, into my blind spot, while holding onto his sword with the blade pointed backwards. He flipped it to slash it towards me. I quickly bent my upper body to avoid his attack while simultaneously pulling out my dagger from my thigh pocket, holding it from the grip with the blade pointed to the side.
Ziggs fixed his stance to block my incoming dagger attack as my dagger fell to the floor.
Clang!
Then, from the dagger that fell onto the ground, Explosion was cast.
Boom!
9 of the 10 spiritual skills cast on the dagger exploded into a surprise attack. However, the moment Ziggs, who had already heightened his combat senses to the max, realized that the number of targets he had to deal with were low, he leapt backwards and widened the distance.
Fwooooosh!
All of the smoke that had risen was swept away with just one swipe of his sword. Ziggs then jumped forward, narrowing the distance.
No, he was just pretending to.
As I quickly pulled out my sword to counterattack, Ziggs stopped his body as it was leaping forward midway.
A movement that appeared to violate the laws of physics. As if it were completely against the law of inertia, the direction he was moving to and the direction it changed were complete opposites.
That strange movement… The key principle behind it was using telekinesis magic to forcibly break the direction of movement of one's body.
It was not an easy feat to use magic power as such to precisely adjust one's movements in a fierce battle. It was a move that could only be learned with dozens, or hundreds of practical experiences rather than simple theory or comprehension knowledge.
Intermediate magic, Ice Spear. Not just one, but three spears were cast.
Thinking that I would still be able to handle that much, without resting he fired off the ice spears while at the same time gathering the flow of magic power to cast another magic spell.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Barely evading the ice spears, I checked the magic power that was surrounding Ziggs' body. Seeing that Ziggs, who was already quite talented in terms of magic power resonance, was taking his time to chant the spell like that… It definitely wasn't going to be a magic that could be easily dealt with.
Whatever magic it might be, it would be meaningless if the casting itself was stopped.
I quickly picked up my recurve bow firing out three magic power arrows.
Kakagak!
Ziggs dispersed all the magic power he was casting and quickly lowered his stance to dodge them.
Then, from the floor where the arrow had pierced, the spiritual skill Manifestation of a Water Source activated. Little by little, water began to flow out of the bare floor.
"..."
Normal people wouldn't worry about missed arrows. However, Ziggs never missed even the slightest hint of magic power movement.
Quickly realizing that even the missed arrows were dangerous, he used the beginner fire magic Ignite to burn all the arrows that were stuck in the ground.
"I can't get careless."
Then, Ziggs released all the magic power that was accumulated inside his body, casting his trademark advanced magic.
Since he was only a second year right now, the fact that he could deal with advanced magic was a ridiculous achievement.
However, as if it were all too natural for him, Ziggs started to emit bluish magic power from his whole body… creating a massive sphere of magic power.
Ziggs cast the advanced magic Advanced Mana Armament.
Fwooooooosh!
In an instant, the spherical magic power had dispersed… becoming a shape of a bow, which Ziggs grabbed.
As he pulled the string and fired, a powerful magic arrow flew at my body. As soon as I rolled out of the way to avoid it, the place I was just at exploded where the magic arrow struck.
Wasting time rolling around and dodging was no different than giving your opponent the freedom to take additional action.
Then, in the hands of Ziggs—who had jumped forward quite a bit at some point,—who was reaching right in front of me… the magic power that was definitely in the shape of a bow had changed into a large rapier.
With a bullet-like speed of a stab, I found that I couldn't stop him.
Fwoosh!
"Keuk!"
However, the wind that wrapped itself around my body deflected Ziggs' body, sending him flying.
Ziggs, who had crashed into the rocks a far distance away, shook his head as he stood up and fixed his stance.
High-ranking wind spirit's passive skill, Storm's Blessing.
After it activated, there was a considerable amount of time before it could activate again. It's safe to say that I didn't have another out like that anymore.
However, the chance Storm's Blessing gave me was enough time to gather magic power for my next spell.
I didn't miss the chance and fired my magic power, sending Mugg flying.
Fwoooooosh!
As the flames rising from Mugg's body obscured his vision, Ziggs clicked his tongue and took a defensive stance.
I took advantage of the chance to shoot arrows, but Ziggs, who could barely see anything, was able to deflect the arrows by reading the flow of the magic power. His senses were at a level where it was like he transcended the limits of a human.
Ziggs then took a big leap forward, narrowing the distance again. But that time, he held two daggers with the blades pointing out.
For Ziggs, who could handle nearly any sort of weapon without constraints, Mana Armament gave him the ability to adapt and respond to literally any sort of battle pattern. It was rare for regular magicians to be able to use such a variety of weapons, so it was safe to say that the skill was unique to Ziggs.
Clash! Clash!
Craaaaaaaaaassssh!
The basic defense magic which I had cast in a shabby manner was shattered in just two strikes. Ziggs then dug himself into the gap of the shield, but I had already cast Wind Blade in that brief moment, slamming it into Ziggs' face.
Of course, Ziggs had cleanly blocked it.
Clang!
However, that brief moment was enough. Unfortunately, all around me now was just the sea.
Five magic power arrows were then shot my way. This time, the timing I had to counterattack was so tight that he probably didn't even consider it.
Lacia the Lioness, who was running around behind, Ziggs opened her mouth and bit his shoulder. However, it wasn't a shoulder that Lacia was biting. Quickly turning around taking a defensive stance, it was Ziggs' dagger that he had blocked it with.
Kagagagagakak!
Ziggs had guessed from intuition the moment he received the attack. Lacia the Lioness' attack was just a fake to create another chance.
The moment he quickly kicked Lacia's abdomen pushing her away, he quickly turned towards me when… my magic was already done casting.
Boooooooooooom!
Intermediate fire magic, Point Explosion.
In terms of casting speed, it was an intermediate magic that couldn't be compared to any other.
Booooom!
Ziggs had then become worn out, crashing down onto the rocks.
Crash.
Dust rose with the occasional sound of choking and coughing being heard.
"That was really… amazing. I really can't drop my guard against you, Ed."
Ziggs coughed a few more times before barely managing to stand up.
"Then… I'll be taking this a little more seriously."
Fwoosh!
The energy of magic power then began to cover Ziggs' body again.
The second advanced magic, Mana Armament – Convergence, was overlaid onto the magic power sphere.
The flow of magic power split into several branches before coming together again… soon becoming a huge spear in Ziggs' hand, one that emitted a crackling sound.
Ziggs could handle all sorts of weapons, but the one he was most confident in was the spear. A massive weapon made up of the energy of magic power that covered the entire area. Also known as 'The Spear from Nature.'
With one swipe, all around him a storm swept. The once-bluish magic power energy had turned green. Little by little, it began to wrap itself around Ziggs' body.
He was floating in the air. The magic power that wrapped around him even resisted the force of gravity that bound his body.
That's when you faced off against him, the mid boss… Ziggs' final battle pattern.
'Spear from Nature' Ziggs.
"Phew…"
I took a deep breath as I gathered myself.