Ed Rothstaylor.
A piece of garbage that spat out lines that suited a third-rate villain. He ridiculed Taylee McLaure before falling from nobility miserably.
It seemed as if he was a character that was created in a hurry, placed at the start of the story to build up tempo… A wasteful character.
The mid-bosses and final-bosses of each Act all had their own stories and reasons as to why they became filled with darkness.
All sorts of enemies stood in the way of the main character, Taylee McLaure, but Ed Rothstaylor was the most insignificant and shallow person of them all.
Yennekar Palerover, Professor Glast, Lucy Mayreel, Krepin Rothstaylor, and even the Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok.
Pushed to the brink by the weight of others' expectations that weighed on her shoulders. The pain that comes with loss that made him grow twisted. Because of a promise made to someone she lost. A character that had to commit an act of pure evil to survive.
The antagonists that ended each act stood on the stage with their own reasons and stories.
So, for Ed Rothstaylor, who had quietly disappeared without any narrative… What was his story?
Even people who didn't live the life of a protagonist held value. However, the weight of each person was clearly different.
So, if the story had changed and he managed to rise and stand on the final stage… What would he say? What reason would he give for him to act like that?
Someone who wanted to end his life pitifully after leaving his family… What would he even have left to say?
That was why
He quietly walked behind the stage as he looked up at the setting sun, reflecting on his life.
To those who looked back on their unfair lives, in a place where the spotlight would never reach, just what sort of story would they tell if the stage was lit for them?
Even though things had become twisted, and he was dragged onto the stage as the final boss of the final Act, nothing changed.
From a third-rate villain who left the stage in an unsightly manner at the start, to being responsible for the final Act in the final stage.
Even though the story changed drastically, in the end, there was only one reason for his actions.
To survive
He needed to survive.
Drip, Drip.
With that thought in mind, a few drops of rain started to fall. He thought it was going to rain, but it was happening earlier than he thought.
A few drops of rain fell on the campfire right in front of Ed Rothstaylor.
With the campfire slowly dying, Ayla Triss raised her voice…
"You didn't say all of this would happen."
And…
"It wasn't going to be anything this major. It was only going to be a simple duel."
Ed Rothstaylor had tricked Ayla into thinking that. Ayla raised her voice as she spoke.
"I need to go back to Taylee."
Even though Ayla said that, Ed Rothstaylor only kept his forearm in his lap, not answering.
Ayla looked back. If she were to run there immediately, how long would it take for her to reach the Elte Store?
She thought of Taylee, who was struggling. Would Taylee really be able to break through all of those ordeals on his path? Was that even possible?
When she turned her head again, the one responsible for everything—Ed Rothstaylor—quietly looked at Ayla in the rain.
He was a much more rational person than Ayla had imagined.
He was someone who always moved because of a rational decision. That was why she couldn't understand the current situation.
* * *
The rain started getting stronger. The same was true back at the Elte Store.
The third floor of the Elte Store.
With Yennekar Palerover in front of him, Taylee pulled out his sword.
His intuition whispered to him.
He could never win. There was not a one-in-a-thousand chance. Not even a one-in-ten-thousand chance that he would be able to defeat her.
She could freely use high-ranking spirits, and if you added up the mid-ranking and low-ranking spirits, too, her army easily reached the hundreds.
If he could land an attack on her, he might be able to win. However, there was no way all of those spirits would let him get close to their master.
Additionally, she was wearing various self-defense measures to protect herself.
Even if he rushed in at an imperceptible speed, the Shock-Enhanced Wave Ball would activate. If he tried to use magic, the Magic Power Phase Shifter would activate.
And even if he managed to break past all of that and land a blow on her… the tiny hourglass hanging from her waist would completely nullify his attack.
The Legendary Magic Engineering Item – Dell Heim's Hourglass.
A legendary magic engineering item that could only be created by devoting an extreme amount of time to put together.
And for Ed Rothstaylor, who had many close connections, it was a treasure that he could only give to someone he truly trusted.
That meant she was one of the most trusted allies of Ed Rothstaylor, who stood at the end of the stage.
As if to emphasize that fact even further, all of the various support items she wore… each one of them boasted an incredible performance.
As Taylee's mindset weakened, he heard a whisper in his ear.
"Put your sword down."
"Quickly run away."
"No one in the world blames you. Even if you run away now, no one will call you a coward."
"You've done all you can. Blood covers your entire body, and your legs are about to lose all strength."
"It's okay to fall here. You've gone through a lot already."
However, Taylee McLaure shook his head. Getting rid of the thoughts that filled his mind, he opened his eyes.
* * *
The rain fell on the outer wall of the store as it dripped to the ground.
Clevius was completely exhausted in the front garden of the Elte Store.
Elvira grabbed Clevius, who was completely worn out, as she dragged him under a small roof attached to the outer wall of the store.
She sat down on the floor, hugging Clevius' head… Then she calmly looked up at the falling rain.
* * *
On the first floor of the store, Ziggs pushed aside all of the debris as he stood up, shaking off the dust.
He didn't have any serious injuries. In the first place, Taylee had no intention of hurting Ziggs. He just wanted him to get out of his way.
However, he never thought that Taylee would be able to destroy the entire floor with a single sword attack.
Ziggs looked at the raindrops that hit the window in the hallway on the first floor.
Taking a deep breath, he sat on the rubble to rest, hoping that there wouldn't be any serious injuries.
Sitting like that for a while, he then shut his mouth, as if he had decided on something.
* * *
Lortel, who was running through the forest at night, also felt raindrops on the tip of her nose.
Looking up at the sky for a while, she took a deep breath as she put on her hood. As she moves towards the less-crowded education district… The night continued.
Lortel prayed.
Please let everything go well. Please let me get my power back, so that I can go back to lighting a campfire and exchange playful jokes with Ed.
* * *
In front of Dune, who was sweating profusely as he spoke, Lucy and Princess Penia also felt the rain.
The guards ran around in a hurry, trying to cover Penia and Lucy's heads with a veil.
The sound of rain falling onto the ground filled Penia and Lucy's ears.
Dune took some time to organize his thoughts, but the fact remained that he was in a predicament.
In front of Dune, who was speaking, Lucy wiped her skirt and looked at him.
* * *
The same was true for Trayciana Bloomriver, who sat alone on the fourth floor of the Elte Store, cleaning her wand.
Raindrops fell through the hole in the ceiling. The girl ruffled her hair as she headed deeper into the hallway.
She sniffled with her chin tucked in as she watched the rain.
The fate of many things depended on that one night. The last night before school started up again. Everyone was looking up at the rain with their own circumstances and feelings, all waiting for the morning sun to rise.
The same was also true for Taylee and Ayla.
* * *
Clang!
His sword collided with teeth.
The lizard spirit bit into Taylee's right forearm. Taylee screamed as he tried to rip the lizard off of his arm, but the wound only grew larger.
Immediately after, other spirits—in the shape of a lion and a tiger—attacked. Their teeth were blocked by his sword, but he was losing strength in his legs as his body began to give out.
Crash! Clang!
It was an attack that he would normally have been able to handle, but Taylee was already in an awful condition.
As he flew into the wall in the hallway, the windows shattered, and pieces of glass fell onto his body.
Taylee screamed as the rain came through the broken window, falling onto him. The rainwater fell into his wounds, causing him to be in even more pain.
"It's time to give up."
"No one is forcing you to keep fighting anymore."
He heard that voice again.
However, Taylee only clenched his teeth, getting up again.
The open front gate. Beyond that, the VIP waiting room.
Yennekar Palerover was there, sitting still on the sofa with an unpleasant expression on her face.
She didn't want to continue beating on Taylee, who was rushing at her in that injured state of his.
But she would keep her promise to Ed Rothstaylor.
She looked as if she simply wanted Taylee to give up. As if she didn't want to keep beating someone who was already a wreck into the ground.
Yennekar, Ziggs, and even Ayla all wanted him to give up and fall down.
Still, Taylee… continued to stand back up, his body covered in pieces of glass and rainwater. His uniform was covered in water, sticking to his skin, and his white hair was drenched as it stuck to his face, making him look shabby.
A burning willpower. However, him standing there in that state was a difficult sight to see.
* * *
"You don't even know… How much Taylee has had to go through already!"
The campfire was completely extinguished.
In the rain, Ayla shouted at Ed.
"This is enough!"
"..."
"Even if he didn't overcome every single ordeal and make his way here… Taylee has already done enough!"
The obstacles prepared by Ed Rothstaylor… No matter how strong-willed Taylee might be, he wouldn't be able to break through them.
She thought that Ed was simply going to encourage Taylee to fight to his utmost for his growth. Contrary to her thoughts, Ed was just completely trampling on Taylee.
Even if it needed to be serious, what he was doing was much too severe.
She owed Ed a lot, and there were many things she felt sorry for. That was why Ayla had agreed to his proposal.
However, she didn't want to hold Ed's hand any further.
"Do you think you are doing the right thing, Ed?! Even if you say that Taylee is going to get stronger from this, is this really for his sake?!"
Ayla screamed at him as they stood in the rain.
The antagonist that completed the final battle of the chapter. The Fallen Aristocrat, Ed Rothstaylor.
Even if Taylee managed to overcome all of the other obstacles, reach him, and defeat him… even if it made him stronger, would it really all be for Taylee's sake?
"Don't force your self-righteousness onto Taylee."
The rain continues to hit the ground.
The sound of the pouring rain filled their ears.
Yet, Ayla's voice definitely reached Ed.
Ed, wet in the rain… Lowered his head, not responding to Ayla's mournful cry.
"Taylee… Taylee…! He's done enough. This much… is enough."
"Ayla Triss."
Ed Rothstaylor quietly stood up and looked at Ayla .
Ayla swallowed her breath upon seeing Ed's expression, which was more serious than she had expected.
Ed Rothstaylor was a man who was always both calm and rational. So, seeing emotion in his eyes for the first time, Ayla panicked and lost her breath for a moment.
One of the first characters everyone thought of when they heard the title
The one who was always next to the main character, Taylee. His closest companion, Ayla Triss, who always encouraged and supported him.
He had always lived in a hellish reality. Whether it was in the flames of war, or a city intoxicated with peace—not once had he not been in pain.
That may have been why he found solace in watching Taylee. While playing
Even if it was part of a meaningless past now, it certainly remained in his memory.
Ed Rothstaylor approached her in the rain, grabbing Ayla by the throat.
"Even if everyone else thinks like that, how can you, of all people, not believe in him?"
"…Ke…Keuk… Wh-What…?"
"He's doing his best to fight through it all, so how can you give up on him…? How could you… Of all people, why are you saying that, Ayla…?"
Ed clenched his teeth as he spoke to Ayla.
It was the first time she'd seen Ed Rothstaylor so close, showing raw emotion.
Not anger, not disappointment… It was something in between.
It was completely different from the Ed Rothstaylor she saw at school, who was always quiet and somewhat mysterious as he diligently did his work.
"There's no reason… for him to go this far…!"
"If he doesn't do this, everyone will die."
"What…?"
"In the first place, I didn't think you would believe me… But at this point, that doesn't even matter. If you're going to keep acting like this, how can I not tell you the truth?"
Ed Rothstaylor spoke as he held onto Ayla's collar.
"Whether you think I'm crazy or some coward who is spouting some ridiculous excuse… Think whatever you want…"
Then.
"The Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok."
As that name came out of Ed's mouth, Ayla's pupils trembled.
The final bosses of each stage always had a burden weighing on their shoulders.
However, the stage had already drastically changed.
Act 4 may have finished, but it was impossible to know if Act 5 had started. At that point, everyone was like a labyrinth.
The final battles for each act had already been pulled forward by several months. It had been a while since the original timeline had lost its value.
At that moment, it was impossible to know when the Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok would be resurrected or when the story would finish.
It was impossible to know if Act 5 would even occur. Perhaps the story had already finished.
His goal of living a leisurely life, aiming for his diploma quietly, had long since passed. The world wouldn't let Ed Rothstaylor sit still.
With that heavy weight on his shoulders in the rain, Ed Rothstaylor held onto her throat as he spoke.
The image of him reflected in Ayla's pupils… was extremely serious.
If Act 5 had properly started, then the one who had to figure out how to defeat the final boss—to end the entire story—had already been decided.
The Fallen Aristocrat, Ed Rothstaylor.
The name of the person who had to end the story that had lost all direction.
* * *
Yennekar Palerover didn't even move an inch.
Even the heartless way she looked at Taylee was enough to be incomparable to her usual self.
Clang! Whaaack!
Taylee, who had tried to attack her from the side, flew away with one swipe of Takan's tail. After sliding down the wall of the VIP waiting room, Taylee stood back up from the dust.
He was barely conscious. It was almost as if he was being driven by instinct. It wouldn't be strange if his eyes suddenly rolled back and he lost all consciousness.
Yennekar swallowed her dry saliva.
It was as if she were fighting a bug that would keep on rising up, no matter how many times she knocked it down. At the rate he was going, he would completely lose consciousness… But he wasn't giving up.
Rather, Taylee's attack patterns were becoming more and more diverse. Holding onto his sense of reason, which was fading away, he continued to try and find any means to win.
An opponent that could not be defeated simply through force.
However, the way to defeat an elementalist was simple. You needed to strike the elementalist's body, rather than their spirits.
Yennekar quietly raised her wand. There were various kinds of magic equipment hanging from the blackened wood. There were also various spiritual skills engraved on it.
'Thousand-year-old wooden wand struck by lightning'. Even without it, Yennekar's resonance level was already at a ridiculous level.
Taylee clenched his teeth as he jumped from the floor. Taylee flew towards the ceiling, spun his body around, and then stepped off the ceiling as if it were the floor.
The place he was aiming for was Yennekar Palerover's body.
Swordmaster's Skill – Elemental Slash.
Taylee's sword strike, which could cut even elemental spirits into two, cleared all of the low-ranking spirits in the area.
Those that were attacked were dismissed as they disappeared.
Taylee flew off the ceiling, heading towards Yennekar's body.
There was no way the remaining spirits would let Taylee do as he pleased. Takan tried to stop him by swinging his tail, but… Taylee's Elemental Slash cut Takan's tail in half.
It was a skill that had a superior advantage against elemental spirits. Even according to the original story, in the Act 1 battle against Takan, Takan could not withstand Taylee's Elemental Slash.
However, no matter how advantageous that skill might be, it couldn't overcome the absolute difference in force.
As Takan roared, sending out magic power, the impact alone caused Taylee to lose control of his body.
As he fell to the floor, he took aim at her body once more. However, he was suddenly struck directly by the elemental magic of the mid-ranking spirits.
Since his body was already a wreck, even the slightest impact would briefly cause him to lose consciousness. Even though his body was covered in blood and screaming out in pain, Taylee turned his body around, glaring at Yennekar.
And then, he activated the next Swordmaster's Skill.
Space Slicing.
His Swordmaster's Skill cut through the countless spirits, again and again.
However, Yennekar Palerover didn't move a single step. He finally succeeded in reaching her, when the 'Shock-Enhanced Wave Ball' suddenly activated, pushing Taylee away.
"Keuaaaaak!"
Even the slightest impact seemed to tear his body apart.
Still, Taylee regained consciousness and stood up. Grinding his teeth, he glared at Yennekar.
"Why…? Why…?"
Even as he bled out, Taylee clenched his teeth and spoke.
"There's no reason… for you… to work with that guy… to this extent… So why… are you stopping me…?"
Watching Taylee bleed out, Yennekar frowned.
In the first place, she was a girl whose heart wasn't so cruel. Regardless of who her enemy was, she couldn't help but feel bad upon seeing them clench their teeth like that.
Still, that wasn't enough to break Yennekar Palerover's heart.
Behind her was Ed Rothstaylor, and Yennekar Palerover had no intention of sending Taylee to him.
"It's not that complicated."
Yennekar, with not a scratch on her body, stood up in the dark. With his strength, Taylee was unable to inflict even the smallest scratch on her.
"If Ed… thinks of himself as a villain…"
Yennekar spoke clearly, without a single change in her expression.
"Then I'm a villain, too. That's all there is to it."
Whatever the case, Yennekar Palerover was on Ed Rothstaylor's side. That fact would never change, even if the world were flipped upside down.
"If you meet Ed in this state, his life might be at risk."
Ed Rothstaylor was currently unable to fully use his magic power. The recoil of the ring was still active.
No matter how bad Taylee's physical condition might be, she wasn't sure what might happen.
"…Of course that's it."
"That's why I don't plan on letting you get to Ed."
There was no hesitation in Yennekar's tone as she spoke firmly.
"Give up. You know it well yourself. Your journey ends here."
The Elte Store under the pouring rain. The building had been completely ruined, to the point that it couldn't fulfill its original role as a store anymore.
And Taylee McLaure could never make it past the third floor.
That heavy truth weighed on Taylee's shoulders.
Thunk!
The hand that gripped his sword slowly lost all strength. Taylee's sword, which was used past its limit, fell to the floor.
Completely exhausted, his legs trembling, Taylee knelt on the floor.
His shoulders dropped down and slowly… Taylee closed his eyes.
"..."
Yennekar took a deep breath as she looked at Taylee.
He had gone through a lot.
It couldn't have been easy.
The moment she was going to report to Ed through her spirits that things had finished—
Hwaaak!
Swordmaster's Skill – Empty Swordsmanship.
Without a sword, using only magic power, a sword strike… cut through the air.
Magic swordsmanship alone wasn't enough to break through the spirit corps protecting Yennekar.
However, Taylee, who was nearly unconscious, took another action through pure instinct alone.
"...!"
Yennekar quickly covered her body in magic power as she grabbed Dell Heim's Hourglass. However, the place Taylee's sword strike was aimed at wasn't Yennekar's body.
It was at the gigantic fire lizard that served as the general commander of the spirit corps protecting Yennekar's body.
That high-ranking spirit… which had restored its severed tail in an instant and took up nearly the entire area of the massive VIP waiting room.
Kwaaak!
The next Swordmaster's Skill that followed his Empty Swordsmanship, cast from Taylee's body.
Swordmaster's Skill – Dragon Slaying Sword.
A sharp blade that could cut through skin and scales, no matter how thick, suddenly cut Takan in two.
The high-ranking spirit Takan, who even the teachers couldn't easily defeat. As it briefly closed its eyes, it was cut into pieces.
Taylee barely had any consciousness left in his eyes. He was being guided purely through instinct alone… He then tried to direct a sword attack towards Yennekar, who was in control of the entire spirit corps, but…
Clang!
Just like that, Taylee rolled on the floor. He was completely out of strength and unable to attack her.
He used nearly all of the energy he had left just to cut down Takan, but before Takan could even fall over, Taylee had fallen to the floor.
"..."
Yennekar looked at Taylee with wide eyes.
Taylee tried to use whatever strength he had left in his body to push back up from the floor and stand up.
"Ugh… Keukkkk….!"
He tried his best to stand up, but his body couldn't move the way he wanted it to anymore.
Yennekar watched him silently as he clenched his teeth over and over again.
There was still a bit of fighting spirit left in Taylee McLaure's eyes.
And that was the last variable
-x-X-x-
When Assistant Professor Cleoh arrived at the overnight duty watch office, the stench of alcohol was everywhere.
"..."
"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…"
It was early in the morning, before the sun had even risen.
She had run through the sudden rain shower, arriving twenty minutes earlier than her originally scheduled time.
When she entered the office, she saw Professor Kaleid snoring, his head tilted back, sitting in a chair.
Tons of cigarettes and bottles of alcohol were lying across the desk. It was more accurate to describe the inside of the office as a cave than a place for people to live in.
"Professor Kaleid…"
At Trix Hall, senior professors took turns being on duty for the overnight watch.
That was because, if an emergency occurred overnight, they needed someone with some degree of decision-making power and authority to respond appropriately.
Most of the time, it was handled by a supervising professor and their disciples. However, since the only professor in the Elemental Studies department was Assistant Professor Cleoh… She was always forced to work alone with Professor Kaleid.
Of course, night patrols, checking on situations, checking the security at the major buildings, and the like… All of the tasks ended up becoming Assistant Professor Cleoh's responsibility. Since the work wasn't all that bad, Assistant Professor Cleoh didn't feel too bothered over having to take care of it all by herself.
However, what frustrated her was Professor Kaleid's attitude towards work.
She was rumored to be someone who was born with a talent for making good connections, but it seemed she was finally paying the price for that luck.
Professor Kaleid's existence was that much of a disaster for Assistant Professor Cleoh.
"Professor Kaleid… Please wake up…. You have to sign the checklist…!"
Professor Kaleid was snoring, completely drunk. He even had a book over his face to block the light.
Professor Kaleid cleared his throat as he sat up, looking at Assistant Professor Cleoh with blank eyes.
His black hair was a mess, and his beard was in terrible condition.
Since he was a professor, he wore a white robe, but… the traces of tobacco and alcohol all over it made it look shabby.
A feared elemental magician who was once said to have destroyed nearly half of the non-human army that attacked the capital by himself.
There was a time when even the imperial court's strict laws couldn't deal with his cruel temperament, which was how he ended up with the nickname 'The Outlaw Kaleid'…
However, now there was no one more pathetic than him.
"…You're here?"
Assistant Professor Cleoh nearly had tears forming in her eyes.
Although Professor Glast had a rather uptight temperament, he was an advisor who always took care of all of the tasks given to him.
Of course, since he was such a thorough person, it was all that much more difficult to work under him.
However, after having a new advisor who was the exact opposite of him… She started to think that Professor Glast was like an angel.
At the very least, he did the work he was responsible for.
"Yes. How long have you been sleeping?"
"Don't worry. I remember greeting you when you went on patrol."
"So you slept right after I left…!"
Professor Kaleid staggered as he stood up, spitting his chewed tobacco into the ashtray.
In order to breathe life into his drunken body, he moved into a large stretch.
"Professor Kaleid…! What if Deputy Headmaster Rachel had passed by…! You were supposed to be on guard duty at Trix Hall tonight…!"
"No, that woman passed by earlier… I vaguely remember that."
"Eeeek…!"
Deputy Headmaster Rachel was the second-most influential person within the school after Headmaster Obel Forsyth
Lately, it seemed that she'd been at odds with Headmaster Obel. Either way, from the perspective of a junior professor, it didn't change the fact that she was her superior.
As Assistant Professor Cleoh's complexion turned blue, Professor Kaleid waved his arms in the air as if it was all right.
"It's fine. I know that woman… She used to tremble just seeing a non-human spy. To think she is now the deputy headmaster of an academy of this size. Time sure has passed."
"B-But… Did she pass by and see you like that…?"
"What is she going to do? She was the one who suddenly put me on watch duty tonight, even though I wasn't supposed to be. Saying something about how they were suddenly short on people…"
"I-Is that so? Still…"
Professor Kaleid picked up a tissue, blowing his nose. He then acted as if he was going to throw it, like shooting a basketball.
After getting into his stance, he threw the tissue through the air. It fell down near the entrance, landing on the floor.
"That woman is definitely scheming something. Why would she personally go and manage who was on night duty when someone beneath her should be doing that instead? It must have been intentional."
"Intentional? What do you mean…?"
"I'm not sure. It's obvious she's scheming something, but there's no reason for me to think deeply about it."
Assistant Professor Cleoh tilted her head as she looked at Kaleid.
He clicked his tongue as if unhappy. He then stood up from his seat, staggering along.
"Well… I've known her for a long time, so she knows me, too."
"If she knows you, then…"
When someone thought of Professor Kaleid, the first thing that came to mind was… how pathetic he was.
First off, he never did his work, to the extent that you would wonder if it really was okay to even give him his salary.
"..."
But thinking of that, she suddenly noticed that the desk seemed to be much messier than before.
There were wine bottles rolling around and the smell of tobacco was all over the place.
Cleoh had cleaned all of it before her shift.
However, aside from that… There were also documents there that she hadn't seen before.
"Wh-What is this?"
"A report that came from the commercial district. Since it's not under our jurisdiction, I just left it there."
"B-But that's still close to Mexes Bridge…! Shouldn't we still have checked it…?"
"I checked it. Umm… What was it…?"
Professor Kaleid opened the bottle of spirits behind the office and spoke.
"Um… Actually, I think I checked it in my dream… I can't remember what it was…"
"Professor Kaleid…!!! Please!!"
Assistant Professor Cleoh burst into tears.
If it was a report that came in the middle of the night, there was a possibility that it was rather urgent or important. At the very least, it was something that needed to be checked.
However, it had already been left unattended on the desk for a few hours. So, if they passed it on to a higher-up, it would be a waste of time.
She then grabbed the documents to check on the situation without even wiping the rainwater off of her clothes.
Creeeeeeeak.
It was late at night at the overnight duty watch office.
At that place and that hour, no one would come to visit unless they came to report for duty.
However, the red-haired girl who came in through the rain wearing a merchant's outfit looked straight at the two of them.
"You're…"
"Hello."
At least among the Elemental Studies professors, there wasn't anyone who didn't know her name.
That was because she was a second-year student who also served as the deputy director of a major business… She was also a top student who was placed in Class A.
"Look who it is. It's the snake from the second year Class A."
Sitting with poor posture and his feet on the table was Professor Kaleid, the one famous for being a model of a bad teacher… He didn't seem particularly flustered by her sudden appearance.
"What brings you here to the watch office of Trix Hall in the middle of the night?"
Lortel, who came in while wiping away the water on her, took a seat across the table as she gave a mature smile.
"I was wondering if Deputy Headmaster Rachel was here."
"I think you should explain why you came all the way here to look for someone at this hour, first."
Assistant Professor Cleoh wasn't able to say a word at the table.
It was late at night and the moon couldn't even be seen because of the rain.
Lortel had trudged towards them… as if she were a ghost.
However, Lortel was a living person.
She looked somewhat exhausted, and her clothes were a mess… But the dignity that flowed through her was the same.
Lortel glanced at the paperwork Cleoh was holding. Just from reading the large letters, it seemed she was able to figure out what it was about.
"Like the report you received said, something happened with the Elte Store."
"I don't believe in written reports. Unless it's a face-to-face conversation, I can't trust it."
That was just an excuse because he was too annoyed to bother reading it.
Assistant Professor Cleoh seemed to be losing her mind, but Professor Kaleid continued to speak slyly, as if he didn't care.
"No matter what is happening with the Elte Store in the commercial district, it has nothing to do with us. We are only on night duty at Trix Hall in the education district… So, why did you bother coming all the way here…?"
Being as sly as Lortel, Professor Kaleid lit the flames.
"Rachel, that woman, must have done something. She really is someone that's full of energy and ambition, after all."
"..."
"It would be great if I had the ability to match that. Obel must be having a hard time dealing with her."
Professor Kaleid spoke to himself as he smoked.
Being a senior professor, it wasn't appropriate for him to gossip about the deputy headmaster, who was his direct supervisor, so blatantly.
However, in terms of being appropriate… In the first place, Professor Kaleid wasn't a person that bothered with anything like being appropriate.
"I think things are going to become a little more difficult, so I wanted to talk with Deputy Headmaster Rachel, who is the decision maker within the school."
"I see you already know that I'm not curious about the details."
Even though Lortel spoke, she didn't explain the situation at all.
Cleoh was confused, but Kaleid snorted as a satisfied expression appeared on his face.
"I think a report will come from the school soon. Ed Rothstaylor and the Elte Store are both involved in a case of embezzlement over public money. It'll only become a headache if people start to gossip about it… So, I'm trying to take care of it in advance."
"Ed Rothstaylor? That's quite a name that suddenly came up."
Professor Kaleid lowered his legs from the table as he wiggled his toes.
He then stood up, his hands in his pockets.
As he looked down at Lortel, he suddenly felt a strange sense of incongruity.
"That's the same kid from the final exam. I told him to come find me if he wanted to learn advanced magic, but he was busy with other things, even causing an incident."
"I'm not sure. What happened at House Rothstaylor wasn't necessarily his fault."
"Yeah, well… He's quite the ideal chess piece right now. His political power is rather strong, and his name is well known…"
Professor Kaleid was naturally under the impression that Lortel only had dark thoughts inside her. Thus, he judged that the reason Ed Rothstaylor was involved in things was because Lortel was trying to use him to her advantage.
Lortel was already used to that kind of gaze.
"Honestly, he's not all that great, though. You know, with kids, when they learn magic, they should feel ecstatic and naive. But those eyes of his are already so dead inside… He's completely cold-hearted, as if he's gone through heaven and hell. Why would I bother teaching him?"
"You never bother teaching anyone in the first place, Professor Kaleid"
"No… That's… Just shut up, Cleoh. Well, in all honesty, that kid… Whatever, it doesn't matter. Even if I call him my disciple, if he doesn't learn from me, then what does it matter? It's a shame for someone like him, with such a bright future."
It sounded as if he was still half-drunk. Professor Kaleid then picked up a nearby bottle of alcohol.
"Whatever the case, there are only three kinds of humans I greatly despise."
Someone who didn't act like a professor, despite being one.
Everyone could agree on that opinion, since Professor Kaleid was always drinking and smoking.
"A drunkard, a bastard who doesn't pay back borrowed money. And…"
"..."
"…A bastard playing pranks on my pupil."
However, in any case, he was still someone who had been teaching for quite some time.
Even though he might appear rather pathetic, he was still someone who would never back down from his values.
Someone who would never throw away his beliefs and values, even if he was at rock bottom.
"Do not worry."
However, Lortel seemed rather relaxed, despite hearing his words.
She always looked rather calm, but as she spoke to him, her voice became much calmer.
"Because he is mine, I will take care of him."
Was she saying that to escape the situation, or was she sincere?
Professor Kaleid glanced into Lortel's eyes. He then quickly spit out tobacco, popping open a bottle of liquor.
He then let out a heavy exhale, as if feeling good, before saying,
"It must be nice being young. There was once a time when I, too, had a fiery love. Haah…"
"..."
"I don't know how you ended up with a tough guy like him, but how far did you two go? From the looks of things, it seems like you two made out. You really have to teach kids early these days…"
Thud!
Professor Kaleid, who had been hit in the face by a stack of books, fell backwards in his chair.
The one who threw them was Assistant Professor Cleoh.
"Wh-What are you saying?! That's a crime, Professor Kaleid!"
Professor Kaleid, who had fallen to the floor in a drunken state, wriggled around.
Assistant Professor Cleoh was also terribly worried. No matter what, how could she throw a bunch of books at her direct advisor?
Even if it was out of reflex, it was completely overkill to do that… Unexpectedly, Professor Kaleid stayed down on the floor and stared blankly, pathetically at the ceiling.
Surprisingly… Was he someone that she could deal with…?
Having that strange thought, Assistant Professor Cleoh sweated profusely.
In front of Lortel, who—strangely enough—seemed to be avoiding her gaze, Cleoh quickly spoke.
"Since Deputy Headmaster Rachel rather hates the Elte Company, it wouldn't be good for the two of you to meet now. Rather than meeting with her, I think it would be better to leave a written note… Lortel…?"
Whatever the case, it didn't seem like a good idea for Lortel and Deputy Headmaster Rachel to meet.
Cleoh, who had made up her mind, tried to sort things out… before stopping in her tracks.
A sly snake. A fox whose insides were impossible to know. Cleoh had always heard stories about the girl, and even in her Elemental Studies Class, she was always acting rather playful whenever she saw her.
But now, she was subtly trying to avoid her gaze, crawling back and blushing… Assistant Professor Cleoh doubted what she was seeing.
Wasn't she a girl who had survived in the underworld of business? A place that was famous for being cruel and heartless?
She must have maintained a poker face in the face of much more insulting remarks and difficult attitudes than his…
However, because of Professor Kaleid's rather lewd remarks… She really did look like a girl her age.
So, she was able to make a face like that…
Not prepared to see that, Assistant Professor Cleoh was left speechless for a moment.
* * *
[It's over. He won't be able to wake up from that.]
Rain fell through the broken outer walls of the VIP waiting room.
As a few raindrops seeped into Yennekar's hair, a giant, bird-shaped spirit spread its wings over Yennekar's head, covering her.
Drip, Drip.
The rain continued to fall on Taylee, who had collapsed after struggling for a bit.
"Keuaaaaaaak!"
Time and time again, Taylee pushed against the floor to try and stand up… But slowly, his body was starting to lose all strength.
[There is no point in doing this anymore. Let's wrap things up, Lady Yennekar. ]
It was a horse-shaped spirit that looked as if it had been made of dirt. The mid-ranking Earth Spirit Tyke snorted and spoke to her.
Gathering Takan's magic power after he had been dismissed, Yennekar quickly calmed her sense of surprise.
Among the high-ranking fire spirits, Takan was a spirit with an insane amount of strength.
The ultimate fire spirit, Theorpis, was so powerful that it was impossible to even dream of being able to raise one's status enough to become the new ultimate fire spirit… But among the high-ranking spirits, Takan was one that was highly respected by everyone.
Even Yennekar couldn't have imagined that Takan could be cut down.
Since coming to Silvenia, Takan's skin—which could easily handle any external attack—had never been penetrated with pure firepower by anyone other than Lucy.
However, that alone wouldn't be enough.
In the end, in order to overcome Yennekar's elementalism, you would have to use advantageous elements against her. However, it was also meaningless to do so, since she was an elementalist that could use all types of different spirits of various elements.
She was strong.
Because of that, even all of the other famous students of Silvenia couldn't match with her.
Yennekar, who was born with a strong sense of resonance, had grown to an even more absurd level after interacting with Ed Rothstaylor.
At that point, Taylee didn't have enough power to break through her.
And like that… Taylee's journey ended on the third floor of the Elte Store.
Little by little, Taylee was losing consciousness. He finally lost all strength in his body.
He also slowly stopped clenching his teeth, trying to remain conscious.
"Keuuuk…"
When Taylee stopped moving entirely, Ziggs came up from downstairs.
There weren't any serious injuries on his body, since Taylee had no intention of hurting Ziggs in the first place. He just wanted to clear the path.
"It's over, Yennekar."
"Yeah."
Slowly getting rid of her spirits, Yennekar quietly nodded her head.
Ed requested that she prevent Taylee McLaure from climbing up through the Elte Store as much as she could.
A series of plans to ultimately use the store as a battlefield, all to check on Taylee's specs—and, if possible, stimulate his growth. He managed to accomplish it all.
Initially, they just needed to block Taylee's path, but Clevius' intrusion made things a little more complicated.
Not only that, but Taylee's willpower was stronger than expected, making it take much longer and becoming more difficult than expected.
"I didn't know he would last so long…"
"I will take care of Taylee, who is unconscious. Go back and get some rest, Yennekar."
"Alright. I need to tell Ed about the situation. I'll head back to camp."
Yennekar put the magic engineering items back into her pockets and cleaned her wand.
And then… Yennekar looked up at the raining sky quietly.
The goal was to test Taylee's skills, but was there a reason for Ed to be so interested in Taylee?
To put it bluntly, Yennekar didn't have a very good impression of Taylee.
That was because he was constantly hostile towards Ed, making aggressive remarks. However, if you were to look at the reason behind it all, it was because of Ed's behavior during the entrance exam. That was why you couldn't really blame Taylee.
That was all she thought of him. So, why was Ed so curious about Taylee?
On the one hand, it seemed as if Ed was actually hoping for his growth… Yennekar couldn't hide her confusion.
Taylee certainly had a strong will and tremendous growth potential, but Ed didn't fall behind him.
If Taylee's strong growth potential was his destiny as the protagonist, then Ed Rothstaylor's growth was a result of what he achieved through his own will.
Of course, it was impossible for her to know that.
As Yennekar finished sorting her thoughts out—
"So, Ed Rothstaylor is at that camp."
The voice of the boy, who they thought had lost consciousness… echoed in the VIP waiting room.
Before they could react, a storm of magic power swept through the entire room.
Kwaaaaaaang!
Yennekar and Ziggs reacted quickly, avoiding taking much damage. However, the exterior walls of the building weren't the same.
In the rain, the outer wall of the Elte Store… about a fifth of it was broken open from the burst of magic power.
Kwaang! Kwaaaaaaang!
"Keuk…!"
Yennekar quickly summoned spirits to block the attack, and Ziggs also hid behind debris to minimize damage from the impact.
That surge of magic power… It had all come from the body of the swordsman, Taylee.
Swordmaster's Skill – Death Throes.
A skill within
A skill that allowed you to continue fighting for a certain amount of time by resurrecting you to your original state before you exhausted all of your energy and lost consciousness.
A deadly weapon that the first swordsman Luden created after witnessing the Blood Swordsmanship. A technique that was forgotten, as it was only activated when one was pushed to their extremes.
However, Taylee had only just come face-to-face with Clevius' Blood Swordsmanship… Yet, he had already succeeded in mastering it in such a short period of time.
A flame that burned briefly before losing consciousness, making it all the more splendid and magnificent.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
Was it even a sword attack? Or was it just a beam of light, made of magic power that passed by?
The entire VIP waiting room was split in two.
Keeeeeeeeng!
Kugugugung!
A clean, vertical cut.
From the stained glass on the walls to the floor… The traces of a sword continued through the entire room.
And on either side of it… The building was split into two.
"What…?"
Taylee raised his sword again… this time swinging diagonally.
The target was neither Yennekar nor Ziggs. The goal was the entirety of the Elte Store, which was past the point of functioning.
Like butter being cut by a knife… The building began to fall apart.
Co-gong! Kugugugung!
The building began to crumble as debris fell.
Despite being the Elte Company's Silvenia Branch, which was extremely grand and sturdily made, it would still completely disappear in the face of a swordsman's blade.
Hweeeeeek!
The most urgent thing at the moment was to escape from the collapsing building.
As soon as Yennekar and Ziggs made eye contact, they escaped through the window.
Ziggs cast wind magic as he went to land safely. Yennekar came out riding a spirit.
In a vacant area of the shop under the wind and rain… they could see Elvira running away from the collapsing wreckage with Clevius.
Crash! Crumble!
The majestic view of the large building collapsing.
In the sky, they could even see Trayciana escape as she jumped out, using her flying magic.
She even went out of her way to rescue the employees who were running around inside the store with her telekinesis magic. Though, she seemed quite flustered by what was happening.
Crumble!
Crash!
The sword strike was like an explosion.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at that powerful attack.
They were certain that he had lost consciousness, yet he managed such an attack.
Still, if they dealt with the attack… In the end, the swordsman Taylee would have no other options.
That was why there was no reason to try and attack them, as it was also an attack that would lead to him falling unconscious after a certain amount of time. It was also an extremely easy attack to deal with.
Taylee knew that fact well, but there wasn't much time left.
That was why… Under the crumbling debris, he looked out at the road leading towards the North Forest.
Before he could think of anything, he jumped off the floor and ran out.
There were footprints leading to the forest and traces of people passing by.
Not the traces of a single person. It was of a man, and a woman accompanying him.
His opponent… was at the camp in the North Forest.
There was very little time left for Taylee, now on the verge of losing consciousness.
Before that, he had to cut down Ed Rothstaylor.
With that thought… Taylee McLaure ran through the forest.
-x-X-x-
"Taylee. You're the main character."
"No matter how hard things might seem right now… the day you overcome it all will come to light."
A night full of stars.
Ayla whispered to the wounded Taylee, sitting next to him behind the barn.
Even if they were just words of comfort, Taylee himself knew just how much they meant.
"The reason the hero is so wonderful is because they overcome difficult ordeals."
"So, all of these hard ordeals and pains you're experiencing right now are the basis for the glory you'll receive when you overcome them all."
However, contrary to thinking she was just saying words of comfort… Ayla Triss was being completely sincere.
Ayla was sincerely cheering for Taylee as he went through countless ordeals and hardships, no matter how difficult they were.
"It's always the darkest before the sun rises."
The cool air of the night passed by as the bugs in the grass cried out, the two of them sitting next to each other.
"So, you must never forget that the reason your life may be dark right now is because you are the protagonist of your own life. You will overcome it all."
* * *
Schwaaaa!
The rain poured down during the dark night in the camp in the North Forest.
There, a blond boy stood in the middle of the pouring rain, as if he didn't care about the cold raindrops that hit his skin. As if he didn't care about the dark and dreary night.
Standing like a warrior, he gripped the dagger in his hand…
That boy was Ed Rothstaylor.
Looking at Ayla, he opened his mouth to speak.
What else was there to say? Ordeals didn't just come to the protagonist.
Rather, there were more people in the world who didn't live the life of a protagonist.
The world was too vast, with too many people for everyone to be the protagonist.
That was why, whether it was Ayla, Ed, or anyone else… They ended up living the life of a supporting character.
And even to them, cruel ordeals would come their way.
Getting kicked out of the academy to live a life alone in the forest. Trying to find one's place in the passing scenario, with his life at risk. Clenching his teeth to survive in Silvenia, where he had no allies amidst the accusations that came his way.
Unlike those who lived the life of the protagonist, who hoped there would be light at the end of their ordeal…
They were unsure if there would be light or darkness at the end. The world was full of those who only did their best to survive.
And that was also the life of Ed Rothstaylor, who stood on the final stage of Act 5.
Yennekar Palerover, Glast, Lucy Mayreel, Krepin Rothstaylor, Silvenia Robester.
Those who were responsible for ending their own stages in
The life of those supporting actors was engraved in his eyes.
Main and supporting roles. Heroes and villains.
Ayla knew from the beginning that it was impossible to divide the world in such a shallow way.
However, being locked in a dark room, listening to the news of the world… It was a clear fact that there were those who lived the life of a main character, and those who lived the life of a supporting character.
And, naturally, there were more supporting actors than main actors in the world.
There were far more people who were only there to help the flow of the story move along to the next stage, the next act, and eventually the ending.
The story of those who lived ordinary lives, far from extraordinary.
Yet Ed always came into close contact with them.
A strong alchemist with a passion for learning, a blood-drunk swordsman, the guardian of the northern grasslands, and a weak-minded elementalist.
The lives of the supporting actors, including Ed, who would have to endure all sorts of hardships without any promises at the end of the tunnel.
Ayla felt it vaguely as well…
"The Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok will be resurrected."
Ed Rothstaylor's shoulders, as he stood sternly in the rain, seemed heavier than she thought.
"He's the only one who can kill it."
* * *
The wreckage of the Elte Store, which had fully collapsed, had completely fallen into the front garden of the building.
Forcefully dragging along Clevius, who was having a hard time controlling his body, Elvira moved to a safe place and gently wiped away the rainwater running down her face.
"This… was much bigger than I thought…"
Clevius lay down under the tree in the front garden of the store as he squeezed the water out of his hair.
"Is it really okay to make such a scene?"
"In the first place, the owner of the building is Lortel. So, Ed must have done this because he has a way to fix it."
Elvira frowned and sighed deeply. Ziggs came out from under the rubble of the building, dusting off his clothes. Since he was responding naturally to Elvira, he seemed completely fine.
He didn't seem to have any major injuries. In the first place, it looked like he didn't fight all that hard at all.
Unlike Elvira, who really fought hard to the bitter end, Ziggs didn't seem to have done as much. Elvira opened her eyes wide and glared at Ziggs.
"What's the deal, Ziggs? You look completely fine. Taylee was running around as if he was going to destroy everything."
"Even though he looked like that, he must have still held onto his sense of reason. It looked like he didn't want to injure someone he was close to after all."
Ziggs was also drenched from the rain, his bangs sticking to his forehead. He looked a lot calmer than usual, probably because of his wet hair.
"Actually, he didn't really care about us. He was only interested in going to save Ayla as soon as possible. Were you injured, Elvira?"
"Not really. That temperament of his where he gets stronger the more he gets pushed back… I'd heard of it before, but seeing it in person was completely different."
Elvira leaned against the tree as she shivered a little bit.
"Honestly, I thought he was going to get stopped by you, Ziggs."
"I was caught off guard, too. When did Clevius get here?"
"I don't know. Why did this stupid idiot come all the way…"
Elvira glanced at Clevius, letting out a sigh before finishing her sentence. It was as if she didn't want to complain about Clevius any longer.
Ziggs looked at her as he smirked.
Everyone was the same at the end of the day.
"I don't know anymore. Since we got involved, what are we supposed to do to fix this?"
"I'm not sure. Whatever the case, since we finished our jobs, let's get ready to head back. Are you going straight to Ophelis Hall?"
"Yeah, well… But what about Yennekar and Trayciana?"
Looking at the Elte Store, you couldn't help but have your mouth open in awe.
That massive building was cleanly cut in half, all the way through.
The sight of such a building being cut like that… When would anyone ever have the chance to see such a strange sight?
Even though he was a descendant of the first swordsman, no one could have ever imagined that he would be able to land an attack that could do so much damage.
The power of Taylee, when pushed into a corner, somehow went against fate… Even the two of them, who have also been through a lot, had no idea just how powerful he could be.
"Trayciana is taking care of the employees. It would be bad if there were casualties, so it looks like she used defensive magic."
"She really is reliable."
"I also came over here to help. You and Clevius seem to be in pretty bad shape, so you two can just head back. Don't worry about cleaning this up."
From Ziggs' point of view, Clevius was an unexpected variable.
Originally, there was no plan to push Taylee to such an extent. However, Taylee still managed to overcome all of it, leaving them all in awe, and ran away.
As Elvira nodded, leaning against the trunk of the tree, Ziggs glanced around a few times and asked,
"But… Yennekar…? She's not here either?"
* * *
Schwaaaa!
In the pouring rain, Ayla's pupils trembled greatly.
She pondered what I said for a moment, and then she stuttered, not even thinking about her trembling eyes.
"What did you say…? The Holy Blue Dragon will be…resurrected…? The seal of the great sage Silvenia was lifted…"
A story that came completely out of the blue.
A truth that was so horrific, you would only want to run away from it and ignore it… She stared at me at a complete loss for words.
There was no proof or reason for her to believe what I had said. Thus, it was only natural for her to think that I had completely lost my mind.
In the first place, just as I said, I didn't expect other people to trust me.
Ayla couldn't say anything as she stood there for a while. I couldn't really yell at her either, so I just stared back at her.
[Young Master Ed…!]
At that moment, a bat suddenly flew from the forest, coming over and landing on my shoulder.
"Mugg?"
Despite the pouring rain, the fire on Mugg's body was still burning strong.
After becoming a mid-ranking spirit, he was now hardly affected by the climate.
Mugg now had a much bigger body. He came over to my ear as he whispered.
I nodded my head. I then canceled Mugg's manifestation as I gathered my magic power back into my body.
At the time, I could barely draw any magic power from my body. Thus, I wanted to minimize the amount of magic power I consumed while maintaining a spirit.
"Taylee is coming."
"What… Did you say…?"
"It seems like he made his way through the Elte Store. However, it also seems like things didn't go the way I planned, either."
When I said that, Ayla's eyes started to tremble again.
Did he really make his way through all of them? That was unbelievable.
Even Ayla, who had always trusted and depended on Taylee, never thought that he would be able to overcome and break through walls of that level.
I was the same.
Even if he was born with the fate of the main character, I still thought there was a degree to his power. I couldn't say anything for sure, since I didn't know the situation of what took place at the Elte Store, but I didn't expect that.
"He will arrive at the camp soon."
"Then… are you going to fight Taylee?"
"Don't worry. It's not going to be like what you think."
I gathered magic power from my body. I couldn't even gather a tenth of my usual amount.
And physically, I still had a slight fever. It was raining and my body felt heavy.
"Either way, right now I can't defeat Taylee. Currently, there are too many restrictions against my body."
"Then, in the first place… Why did you…?!"
"Didn't I tell you from the start? It's still the same."
From the first time I told Ayla my plans, I'd always been honest about my goals.
"I just want to check his specs."
In order to defeat Velbrok without taking major damage, at minimum there are a few things he needed.
The most important thing for Taylee, who was going to defeat Velbrok, was his Swordmaster's Skill. To be more precise, he needed to be capable of Empty Swordsmanship, Dragon Slaying Sword, Holy Sword, Space Slicing, and Heart Sword.
And in order to lower the casualties as much as possible during Velbrok's resurrection, I needed to gather the largest number of forces as I could for the subjugation. There needed to be a large subjugation team to help make things easier.
The Imperial Knights, the Elte Company's Mercenary Corps, the Apostles of the Holy Father Building, and even members of the imperial family… Whether it was through political means or as a deal, I needed to somehow have them join the subjugation team.
In addition to that… Only by securing the belongings left behind by Silvenia Robester would we meet the 'minimum conditions' necessary to defeat Velbrok without any casualties.
Checking Taylee's growth was just the first step.
Clang! Hwaaaaaaak!
Near the entrance of the northern forest, the sound of someone sprinting with magic power could be heard.
Birds flew out of the way as the noise spread throughout the forest.
It was the sound of Taylee, who was probably furious, running towards the camp. Since I could hear it, he must have been pretty close.
And judging by the speed at which the sound was growing, he was probably almost at the camp.
After checking the condition of my dagger, I put it back in its scabbard. I then gathered the magic engineering items, various traps, and crafting tools that were scattered around the camp.
I took off my school uniform overcoat, which was soaked from the rain, and rolled up the sleeves of my shirt. I wiped my face, pushing the bangs away from my eyes.
"You…"
Only then did Ayla speak.
"Just what weight are you carrying?"
Her question sounded rather anxious, her eyes wide as she looked at me.
I made sure my dagger was put away as I gathered magic power at the tip of my fingers.
Unlike usual, there was a dark red energy that rose up… the power of Celestial magic.
"Are you curious?"
"..."
"Then, I'll tell you."
Saying that, I approached Ayla. As she nodded, looking at me with anxious eyes, I slowly opened my mouth.
"Listen to me well."
"..."
"It's… nothing much."
"..."
Little by little, the power of the Celestial Magic power began to surround Ayla's body.
Even though it was only a very small amount of magic power, the load started to affect my body. I struggled to breathe as I broke out in a cold sweat.
Nevertheless, I clenched my teeth and cast the Celestial Magic Dazzle.
The proficiency was still level 1, so I couldn't take control of her completely.
It only dazed an enemy temporarily, making it hard for them to gather their thoughts.
However, at that point, that was enough.
"If you keep saying those things, you're only going to get caught up in things more. So, go and get some rest."
Whooooooosh!
As soon as I clenched my fists tightly, Ayla's consciousness was cut off.
Because of the recoil of Celestial Magic, I winced while enduring the pain.
Thud.
I then caught Ayla's body, which had lost consciousness. She wasn't all that heavy, since she was rather small.
I brought Ayla over towards the wooden shelter. I put her underneath the roof so that she could at least avoid the rain.
I then covered her in a pile of leftover fur that was lying around so that her body temperature would be fine. I checked that the entrance was reinforced so that the rain wouldn't seep in.
After putting Ayla—who was unconscious—aside, I slowly got back up and moved out into the rain.
Schwaaa!
The sound of running stopped.
After covering the entrance of the wooden shelter, I stood up.
I didn't have to look behind me.
Even without looking back, I knew who was there.
Thud.
Schwaaa!
"You're here, Taylee McLaure."
I called out his name calmly, but no answer came back.
I slowly turned around. Looking at the boy at the entrance to the camp, I stood up, staring straight at him.
"Ed Rothstaylor."
He was in a battered swordsman uniform, and his body was covered in blood and injuries.
His hair was white, and his eyes were burning red.
Needless to say, it was the protagonist of
The way he stared at me, with his burning eyes full of anger…
I didn't know why, but I let out a cynical laugh.
"You…"
Whoosh!
Before I could say anything, he swung his sword towards me.
Taylee McLaure didn't have much time left. As if he didn't even have time to exchange words, he ran straight at me.
Clang!
I tried to cast defensive magic quickly, but there was a limit to my current magic power.
I was pushed back towards the campfire from the impact of his sword strike. Even though I blocked it, I rolled on the floor a few times. I then stood back up.
"Whew…"
I stood up in the mud. I wiped the mud off my face with my forearm and looked back at Taylee in the rain.
The protagonist of the world had his eyes wide open, holding a greatsword that was flowing with incredible magic power.
I could tell from a glance. Among his Swordmaster's Skills, that one was Death Throes. It was one that activated when you were put in a critical situation. Seeing it, I could imagine just how difficult his fights at Elte were.
Taylee had been pushed into a corner. He had no idea just how much longer his skill would last.
He was in a completely injured state, and I was in a state where I couldn't use magic power. Strangely enough, we were on completely even playing fields.
I then burst into laughter.
"Alright, let's give it a go."
I grasped my dagger tightly as I took out a piece of magic engineering equipment in my other hand,
Under the rain at the camp, staring at Taylee for a while… I waited for him to make his move.
The stage was coming to an end.
* * *
"Tell the driver to start moving the carriage."
By the time Dune finished explaining, Lucy's eyes were already in an unusual state.
Princess Penia and her closest aides looked back at each other. If it was true that Princess Persica had purposely added her own people into her escort group for such a reason, then that would mean she was taking advantage of Princess Penia for her own benefit.
No one knew just how Princess Penia would take that fact.
However, Lucy didn't seem to care about Princess Penia's position… As if she were the princess herself, she gave orders to the driver.
"I want to go to camp, too."
Dune looked at Lucy with trembling eyes.
With a witch hat crammed tightly on her head, her blank eyes were wide. It was impossible to parse out the emotions behind them.
-x-X-x-