Glaskan subjugation battle (2)
The incident occurred the next evening.
After a day’s work in the teaching building, I return to the camp like a bullet.
Usually, I had already left the faculty building by dinner time, but today I stayed until quite late.
The goal was to create a more stable living environment by building a proper wooden cabin.
Therefore, I was familiarizing myself with basic design materials at the student library and collecting information such as what materials I would need and how to trim the trees.
Well, there is no immediate need for food, and since the weekend is just around the corner, there are no urgent tasks or tasks to deal with. It would be okay if I stayed in the faculty building until a little late today.
If you’ve decided to get something done, there’s nothing good about dragging it along sluggishly. Gathering information from the student library also takes time.
From my point of view, as I plan my life by the hour, once I decide to sit down in the student library, it is better to get everything done at once.
In the first place, the North Forest and the student library are so far away that it is burdensome to visit often.
There is a limit to the number of books you can borrow, and you have already reached your limit due to your studies. Therefore, you must obtain all the necessary information at this time.
It was around this time that I piled up a bunch of books and was devouring them like crazy, burning my will to fight.
“It’s closing time. You’re studying really hard.”
A student in the librarian class with a warm expression approached me and informed me. I was surrounded by books and concentrating so hard that time seemed to pass by like that.
When I looked around, everything was empty except where I was sitting.
I came right away without dinner and sat down, but before I knew it, it was closing time.
I raised my head and looked at the student who spoke to me. Looking at the girl’s chest, where she calmly and somewhat clasped her hands together, a blue badge is hanging neatly. It means first year. In short, this is someone you can talk to comfortably.
“Wow, I’m sorry.”
There was already darkness outside the window.
If a mountain of books is piled up like this and they are stuck until just before closing time, it is very difficult for the librarian who has to organize them all after I leave.
“If I had told you earlier, I would have finished it earlier.”
“No, it’s okay. You were completely concentrating, so I felt sorry for interrupting me.”
I don’t really remember the wavy, light pink hair… but I have a strange sense of déjà vu, like I’ve seen it somewhere before.
The name of the apprentice librarian at the student library in the Sylvania Faculty Building is… Moka? Elka? Delca? Well, what was it… It was definitely not the main character in the scenario.
“They say you study with your butt, but if you sit around eating snacks, you’ll only gain fat on your sides… Oh, I said such a useless story. Me too.”
I answered half-heartedly and quickly closed the book.
I was planning to start the groundwork for the cabin construction today, but it seems like it won’t be possible.
“Still, seeing people like you boosts my academic motivation. Even though he doesn’t come often, I always thought it was admirable that he was so focused as if he was immersed in a book.”
The girl smiled and continued her words.
“My name is Elka Islan.”
From the flow that naturally leads to her self-introduction, it can be inferred that she has been trying to add her words for quite some time.
“Ed.”
“…”
The reaction of instantly stiffening when you say a name is now beyond familiarity and has become a bit boring.
It’s been since the entrance exam incident ended, but the rumors about that damn Ed Ross-Taylor never stop. Even though I listen to classes as quietly as possible and just do my own thing, the notoriety shows no signs of abating.
It makes me wonder how arrogant and obnoxious he must have been to be like this.
In the first place, rumors tend to spread in a bad direction as if they were adding oil to a topic that does not go well in a good direction.
I’m not so foolish as to be hurt and offended by each and every rumor, but I can’t help but sigh when I see reactions like that.
“Well… that might be rude.”
Nevertheless, if you quietly do your job, study diligently, and try to survive every day, there will be times when your evaluation changes completely.
“You are very different from the rumors.”
“rumor?”
“No, um… I hope you don’t find it too strange.”
It is also very unsophisticated to discuss rumors. Let’s just ignore it and quickly return to camp since it seems to be late at night.
As I was thinking that, the other person started telling me something trivial.
“I’m an apprentice librarian, so I usually spend time here after school. Do you borrow a lot of books on elemental science and the like every few days?”
“…”
“When I see you reading and returning ten books of several hundred pages in a few days, or devouring five or six books in one sitting… I wonder if the rumor that you are pretending to know nothing about something is actually just a rumor. .. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
The girl spoke hesitantly and quickly picked up the books.
“Anyway, I have to quickly clean up and go back to the dormitory, so take care of yourselves!”
While speaking urgently, the girl quickly blended in among the bookshelves.
And the bookshelves in the library fell like dominoes.
*
It’s really hard for her to live on the outskirts and not be part of the main scenario.
Those who have to always accept sudden changes in situations cannot help but feel that way.
“Profit difference!”
She pulled out the librarian who was struggling under the bookshelf, then roughly picked him up like a pack and placed him on the table.
15 minutes ago, a thunderous sound echoed throughout the teaching building, and a tremendous tremor shook the entire student library building.
The aftermath was so enormous that it could easily be described as just an earthquake. All the bookcases had collapsed, books were rolling on the floor, and reading equipment and consumables were all a mess.
All the expensive magic tools were shattered and the crystal ball candles that provided the light source were all shattered, so the inside was complete darkness.
“hey.”
“Ugh-.”
The librarian seemed to have lost consciousness and could only make sounds of confusion.
I placed the unconscious librarian on the table and thought about it for a while. She’s definitely not a memorable person, but I have a strange feeling that I’ve seen her somewhere before. Well, it wouldn’t mean much if I, who played ‘Sylvania’s Failed Sword Saint’ for so long, couldn’t remember.
The time must have been past 9 o’clock, and there was no light source inside.
However, the interior of the reading room is bathed in a soft purple light, so much so that even eyes that are not yet fully equipped with dark adaptation can see the internal structure.
If you look at the source of the light, surprisingly, it is a window.
I just went to the window and opened it. Since this student library is located on a low hill on the outskirts of the faculty building, it was possible to get a panoramic view of the faculty building.
A reddish pillar of light rising from the center of the student center. It was activating a space-sealing barrier ceremony that crossed straight across the sky above the teaching building and wrapped around the entire teaching building.
The sudden earthquake was clearly an aftereffect of that large-scale space sealing magic. This is evident when you see it extending out from the student center.
“Hmm… Isn’t it a bit early…?”
Anyway, there is nothing to panic about.
Even though I’m going through all kinds of hardships with Ed Ross Taylor’s maggot-like body, my information superiority definitely helps in times like these.
“hmm…”
I rubbed my chin and thought for a moment.
It may not be something that would make me panic and fall out, but there were definitely some things I didn’t understand.
First of all, that space sealing magic was activated by Velosper, a high-ranking dark spirit, through Yenika, and is a means of blocking this wide teaching building from the outside. Velosper applied the high-level dark magic ‘Shadow Veil’.
I like it, but if you look at it from the perspective of a high-level barrier scenario, it is no different from just a stage setting.
An episode in which all the important first-year all-star members of the Glaskan subjugation battle that marks the end of the first act come out and form a subjugation team to attack the student center.
However, if you think about it with common sense, there is no way such a scenario could occur.
Among the elemental spirits, the most mysterious and infamous dark spirit is a problem that cannot be solved at the student level when it comes to high-ranking spirits. In a situation where even the student center has been taken over, the staff and professors will naturally have to come out and subdue them.
However, the story does not work that way. In order for this to be an episode where Tailly manifests his sword spirit, it is necessary to block the intervention of school staff and professors.
So the concept that came out would be Velosper’s space sealing magic.
That barrier is like a lock locked from the inside, so it is easy to confirm that it is locked from the inside, but difficult to confirm from the outside.
And even if the anomaly is noticed, disarming the still incomprehensible dark spirit’s barrier ceremony in a standard way takes up nearly half a day. In the end, if you want to break through quickly, you have no choice but to use overwhelming destructive power to destroy the barrier entirely.
Although it may be difficult to believe that such an ignorant method would work in a barrier of that size, as the name Sylvania suggests, there are some people who can do it. You don’t have to go far, just call Principal Obel and the entire barrier will be destroyed without any interpretation work.
However, the high dark spirit Velosfer is cunning.
The incident occurred late in the evening, when most professors had returned to their personal labs or homes.
By now, it’s past 9 o’clock and there are almost no professors left in the faculty building. This is because the professors’ personal labs are all located in the residential building for their convenience.
Anyway, the battle to subdue Glaskan, the final chapter of Act 1, is a race against time.
The key goal is to subdue Yenika before dawn before she summons her highest-ranking dark spirit, Glas Khan.
Although it is a barrier ceremony that will be destroyed quickly if left alone, it is enough to just wait until the Glaskan summoning ceremony is activated.
-‘Drurrruk’
I quickly opened the window and craned my head outside. And I looked around, but it didn’t seem like the spirits manifested by Yenika were occupying the street corner.
“We haven’t even entered phase 1 yet.”
The boss battle flow, which consists of summoning a punitive force – recapturing the student center – battle at Nail Hall corridor – defeating Yenika – defeating Glaskan, starts now and will end before dawn.
To put it simply, it’s a real hard work. I have no choice but to send a prayer to Tailley.
First of all, you have to run around like crazy from phase 1. As I work to subdue the spirits that get in the way and gather all the first-year aces scattered throughout the faculty building into one place, I feel like a real mutt.
“I guess you’ve met Ayla by now.”
I guess you’ve figured out the situation.
The spirit energy flowing from the student center. Her childhood friend Ayla, who is versed in elemental science, will explain the situation to Tailley clearly.
From now on, the students must work together to subdue that monstrous high-ranking dark spirit.
The moment Glaskan, the highest-ranking dark spirit, descends on the teaching building, the damage will be indescribable.
That’s why we invite people to help us to the student plaza.
The bluish light seen outside the window soon changes color to an ominous dark red. The chanting for the Glaskan summoning ceremony began. We clearly know who is performing the chant.
He is a cute senior spiritist who is admired and loved by all the second year students.
“It’s a novel sight to see from here.”
From Tailley’s point of view, the moment the barrier ceremony occurred was right near the student center.
They are swept away by the explosively spreading flow of mana of the barrier ceremony, and soon a reddish curtain covers the ominous, starless sky. Its area is so large that it covers the entire teaching building.
Just by looking at it, you can infer that a large-scale event is about to begin.
However, from my point of view, having already played the game several times, it was rather refreshing at this point.
Even when seen from this far away, that pillar of light is so majestic.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene of the barrier ceremony seen from the student library outside the teaching building.
It would seem that nothing happens outside the barrier. It is truly a good barrier.
Well, whether it’s a glass compartment or something, Tailly will run around on his feet and solve it. All I have to do is kill time by reading a book here.
There is absolutely no need for me to go through any trouble. However, if you have the effort to put in, it is better to invest at least a little bit into improving the completeness of your cabin. If you get involved for no reason, you will only end up in a lot of trouble and get physically injured.
Additionally, I don’t want to get too close to a place where a lot of important characters are gathered. Future knowledge and one-sided information superiority are the greatest weapons I have. I would never do something stupid like provide a useless variable and then throw away that powerful weapon with my own hands.
“for a moment…”
But a thought suddenly occurred to me.
“Isn’t this the time to be like this?”
I was sitting roughly at the library table, looking at the magnificent closing ceremony. A phrase from a strategy article I saw a long time ago suddenly came to mind.
-‘If you are thinking of investing in the alchemy skill, Spirit Consciousness, it will be convenient to raise your proficiency in understanding spirits and responding to spirits during this phase.’
“right..!”
The final battle of Act 1 is a part in which dozens of spirits that have made a contract with Yenika and numerous corporeal spirits that are derived from the manifestation of those spirits appear in large numbers.
This is an opportunity to increase your proficiency in the dreaded ‘Spirit Understanding’ and ‘Spirit Sensitivity’ all at once.
In essence, proficiency in spirit-level skills accumulates through contact with spirits. Whether it’s communion, battle, or anything else, there must be interaction with the spirits. In most cases, combat experience is a good complement to proficiency.
However, ordinary people cannot even see spirits. Unless, like Yenika, you were lucky enough to be born with enormous spirit sensitivity.
Therefore, for a person without natural talent to use spirit world skills, there is no other way than to contact a spirit that has been ‘manifested’ by another spirit master.
The closed nature of spirit world skills acts as a thick barrier to entry. And the opportunity to overcome that entry barrier at once is the final battle of Act 1.
Since the final boss is a spirit person, this part allows you to accumulate a lot of experience fighting against manifested spirits.
It would be foolish to stand idly by with such a sweet experience-gathering event right in front of you.
Moreover, this battle is a ‘real battle’.
You can also build combat proficiency that is different from the small mock battles you experience in the middle of the curriculum.
My top priority is to subdue as many spirits as possible so that I can grow.
“This is not the time to be idle!”
I quickly jumped down from the table and opened the exit from the reading room. As I was about to run out, I suddenly caught sight of the librarian sprawled out on the table.
“hmm…”
I didn’t think there would be any danger once I was inside the building, but just in case, I picked up the parchment and quills lying around in the corner.
-‘When you come to your senses, don’t panic and just stay here. Everything will be finished before dawn, so stay calm, block the entrance, and do not provoke the spirits. Always consider your own safety first and do not move hastily.’
Hmm… What’s the point of just leaving a note and leaving?
It is unlikely that the wandering spirits will invade the reading room of the library building and attack the sleeping girl, but it is still something just in case. If you get hurt for no reason or your life is affected, the aftertaste will be bitter.
I set up the blackboard that had fallen in the corner of the reading room, picked up the chalk that had fallen in the corner, and wrote in large letters. In case I couldn’t find the memo, I wrote the same thing again.
And before I left, I pushed the cabinet up the wall near the window to cover it all up. This way, it would be less dangerous because you wouldn’t be able to see the inside. The exit side seemed too open, so I roughly covered it with a blackout curtain that was torn and lying around. If you do this, you won’t be able to see the entrance clearly and it won’t hinder your movement in case you need to escape.
It’s a bit dark inside, but it’s written so clearly on the blackboard that you’ll be able to find it easily.
I’ve done enough. I quickly ran out into the hallway.
It will soon be an experience-generating event. You have to move quickly.
I can easily suppress things like fluid spirits and traces of elements, and with some effort, I can easily suppress even lower-level spirits.
…Originally, I would have to first think about how to subdue that vicious Belosper before considering my own growth, but…thankfully, there is someone who will take responsibility for all the hardships and hardships on my behalf…
It’s Tailly…
I don’t know, so figure it out on your own.
It might be a bit of a struggle… Anyway, good luck!
*
-‘No matter what burden I carry, does it have to be heavier than the burden the princess carries?’
-‘It is certainly necessary to worry about the complex situation and reign, but how about putting your mind at ease?’
The reason why those words suddenly came to mind was because of Princess Fenia’s bad habits.
Although she can easily see into the hearts of others in everything she does, she has extremely little experience of having her own inner self penetrated by others. That’s why she can’t easily forget if her lungs are stabbed even once.
That tendency may also be the cause of Ed Ross Taylor’s indifferent words lingering around.
There’s still a long way to go. As Princess Fenia thought that, she came to her senses again.
“This is the current situation.”
First-year student Ayla summarized the situation and relayed it.
The location is a temporary gathering place in the student plaza. The time is 11:30.
A barrier ceremony occurred suddenly around the student center. Nearly two hours have already passed since the catastrophic event occurred.
The plaza was filled with students who were trapped in the Velospere barrier ceremony and could not leave. It is a temporary station.
A barricade erected from all kinds of nearby miscellaneous items centered around the fountain located in the center of the square, blocking the entrances to the east, west, south, and north. Although it was crude, it provided minimal cover and was able to block the access of the spirits scattered around.
“There is no way a barrier of this magnitude will last long. It will be discovered quickly and help will come from the outside. Once the outside world notices, the professors will step in.”
At Ayla’s words, her audience nodded their heads.
No matter what anyone says, the head of this temporary camp voluntarily formed by students was Princess Fenia.
When a crisis arises, the most urgent thing for her is the presence of someone in charge to control the situation. There is a growing need for someone with legitimate authority and power to control a situation that is heading toward chaos.
Needless to say, Princess Fenia was the right fit for the current situation. No one could question her authority.
The total number of students gathered at the student square station was 57.
This quick response was largely due to the credit of Tailley McLaure, a first-year student in the Combat Department. By wading through the group of spirits occupying the teaching building, he served as a trigger for students to gather in this student plaza.
As a result, more than half of the students remaining in the faculty building were able to gather in this student plaza.
At the center of the station, members who could be called the core of the gathered students were gathered and holding a meeting.
Fenia, Princess of Mercy. Lortel, the Golden Daughter. Ziggs, Spear of Vegetation. Guard Captain Claire. Tailly, a failed swordsman. Companion Ayla. Nosy Elvira. Grim Clevius….
Each person was sitting on the floor, leaning against the barricade wall, or standing awkwardly, gathering freely to discuss countermeasures. Needless to say, the one at the center was Princess Fenia.
“Like I said, I think we should enter the student center on our own.”
This was the opinion of Taylee McLaure, who was covered in scars from running through the spirits and through the faculty building.
He stood up, his body covered in minor wounds, and presented his opinion clearly.
“We can’t wait for outside support. That barrier is literally just a waste of time. If Glaskan is truly summoned as Ayla said, there may be a lot of casualties.”
The information gathered and delivered by Ayla, who was well versed in spirit magic, and Tailly, who ran around the site, was shocking.
That spirit ceremony that covers the night sky is a magic that summons Glaskan, the highest-ranking dark spirit.
There are only a few people in this school who are so good at sensing spirits that they can summon spirits like that.
Considering the method of erasure, the culprit was most likely Yenica Palover, a second year senior at the Ministry of Magic.
“Princess Fenia. I am opposed to that opinion. What is more important than anything else is Princess Fenia’s physical appearance. For now, think as conservatively as possible and do not go outside her temporary station.”
Guard captain Claire only thought about Princess Fenia’s safety as much as she could.
“People outside the barrier will quickly notice the incident. It will be resolved quickly once the imperial guards stationed in the living quarters and the academic professors begin to respond.”
“The barrier of a high-ranking dark spirit is not easily interpreted unless it is broken with force. To be honest, I’m not sure if we can make it in time. I don’t know if Principal Obel will step forward in person, but as you know, he’s often away. Hmm.”
The tomboyish-looking alchemist responded to Claire’s words. She was ‘Elvira the Nosy’, the top first year student at the Sylvania Pension Department.
“Hmm~. I agree with Tailley’s opinion~. Above all, if all the members work together like this, we might be able to subdue the high-ranking spirits, even if it’s difficult to reach the highest-ranking spirits, right? Hmm~. Honestly, aren’t we all confident~?”
“So now… let’s drill through there…? Hehe… I’m against it…”
‘Sullen Clevious’, a male student with dark circles, pointed towards the student center.
The physical spirits and lower-level spirits spread throughout the teaching building are not that dangerous. If this number of members are gathered in one place, it can be said to be 100% safe.
However, the situation at the student center was completely different.
This is where Yenica Palover, the main character of all these spirits, is located. There, all kinds of mid-level spirits and spirit beasts were standing guard in double or triple layers.
“Let’s go through all those mid-level spirits, subdue all the spirit beasts, enter the inside of the building, and subdue Yenika as well..? Is that possible? Even those aren’t all! There are two high-ranking spirits inside. ! High Fire Spirit Tarkan High Dark Spirit Velosfer!”
The audience fell silent as Clevius spoke.
The power of high-ranking spirits was clearly seen in joint combat practice.
Tarkan, a high-ranking fire spirit summoned by Yenika. The giant fire lizard hugged the top of the nail tube and roared.
Even Lortel, one of the Class A students recognized by Professor Glast, was unable to utter a single sound and had no choice but to be suppressed.
Tarkan will even be stronger than before. All of the spirits that occupied the teaching building were under Velosper’s berserk spell. Tarkan is no exception.
“I won’t commit suicide like that..! I can’t!”
“Don’t get excited, Clevious.”
“Ugh… I’m sorry, Princess Fenia.”
Clevius bowed his head at Princess Fenia’s words.
However, once Clevius spoke his words, an atmosphere of despair prevailed among the students.
More than fifty students stand guard in this narrow camp. This conversation was heard by everyone, so I couldn’t keep saying unnecessary, demoralizing things.
“To begin with, isn’t he too strong even if he is the top 2nd year student? A single student can manifest this many spirits and still chant the Glaskan summoning ceremony without any hesitation?”
It was Tailly’s childhood friend Ayla who answered Lortel’s question.
“Most of it is probably Belosper’s power. Senior Yenika is just a medium that expresses that power. This is why all spiritists purify their minds to avoid being consumed by dark spirits.”
Ayla’s explanation that followed was something that even Princess Fenia knew.
The dark spirit, which is said to be the natural enemy of the spiritist, has enormous power, but it never moves according to the spiritist’s intention.
Rather, they are devil-like beings who control the spirit masters and force them to do as they wish.
“However, no one knows how Velosper controlled Senior Yenika, who is more knowledgeable in elemental science than anyone else. He must have known better than anyone else about the dangers of dark spirits.”
“That’s not important now.”
Ziggs, the Spear of Vegetation, who was sitting in her corner, responded to Ayla’s explanation.
“Isn’t the important thing now to decide our course of action?”
A serious and profound voice. The boy with long hair that reached down to his neck spoke indifferently but clearly.
“And the only person who can decide that is… Princess Fenia.”
At Ziggs’ words, silence fell again in the audience.
The eyes of over fifty students were focused on Princess Fenia. On the other side, the worried gaze of the guard captain, Claire, made Fenia’s back sting.
Above all else, he understood Claire’s concern for the princess’s safety. However, it was not the princess’s way to just sit here and wait for help.
“Let’s go in. Under the assumption that we will retreat if anything is different from what we expected.”
Her audience’s reaction to the princess’s words was divided.
Guard captain Clair, the coward Clevius, and other conservative students sighed, while the warlike students laughed.
“However, not all students can enter. If everyone enters hastily, it will only increase the damage… It is right to go with people who can comfortably protect themselves.”
In any case, ordinary students will be swept away by middle-level spirits, let alone high-ranking spirits. There is no reason to increase the scale of damage by taking them all.
“The members gathered around here, my escort, Claire, the seniors from each grade department, and the students from Class A will enter. Because everyone’s skills have been proven.”
“Then there is no need for the princess to go, is there?”
“No, I will accompany you too.”
Claire’s expression turned serious at the sound like a thunderbolt, but the princess shook her head.
“It’s ridiculous to not go to the front line when you’re only giving instructions in a pretentious manner.”
“The princess. Your royal body is not yours alone. As a bodyguard, I cannot help but stop her.”
“Don’t worry, Claire. I haven’t neglected my magic training either. Also, please bring Taily and Ayla along. They must have been walking around the outskirts of the student center searching for students, so they probably have at least a rough idea of what’s going on inside.”
With this, the members of the punitive force were clearly decided. Unfortunately, there are no senior members. Except for Claire, who is an adult, they are all first year students.
However, if you look at the members, each and every one of them is a talented person. To begin with, this year’s first-year students are unusually strong. It’s truly unfortunate that ‘Lazy Lucy’ did not join because her whereabouts are unclear, but this alone would not be enough for even a decent number of seniors to hand out their business cards.
“We’ll leave in an hour. Everyone, get ready and mentally prepare yourself.”
Everyone nodded at the princess’s words.
“Princess! Princess Fenia!”
At that time, a student broke the solemn atmosphere and ran in.
“The investigation of the number of people remaining in the faculty building has been completed.”
A male student with reddish-brown hair broke through the barricade and approached the princess. As this is a sudden crisis situation, identifying key personnel is key.
Time is time. Since most of them had already returned to their living quarters, there were not many who remained in the teaching wing and were trapped in the closing ceremony. Thanks to this, by compiling all the information known by the students gathered here, we were able to come up with an overall population estimate.
The male student in charge of the investigation began reporting quickly, out of breath.
“It is said that students from the Alchemy Department who were researching reagents at the Tañez Magic Supplies Storage started a sit-in on their own. Most of them are third year students, so I don’t think there is any need to worry.”
“And?”
“It is said that the faculty members who were controlling the door and managing the building are well gathered in Audrey Hall. However, they are regular faculty members and do not have enough force to respond to the spirit.”
“Do you need support?”
“I heard that Professor Carly is in charge of that. However, joining the team itself seems difficult.”
Although most of the professors had returned to their dormitories, there seemed to be one or two who remained.
However, it will be a struggle to manage and protect so many ordinary faculty and staff. The distance between Audrey Hall and the student plaza is quite long, so it would be too unreasonable to expect people to lead such a large group of faculty and staff all the way to join us. However, it would not be possible to leave the faculty and staff there unattended.
“I guess that side will also go in the direction of a sit-in protest.”
“Yes, I think we will move in a direction to minimize damage. We will not make a decision that exposes general management staff to risk for no reason.”
“It seems like we are the only ones with the conditions to actually enter the student center.”
The princess strengthened her decision again. In any case, this student plaza is located right in front of the student center, which is the center of the problem. This was the only group that could respond to the situation faster than anyone else.
“Other than that, no other students have been identified…”
“…there is!”
A girl’s voice rang loudly from one side of the barricade formed in the north, south, east and west.
In an instant, the group’s eyes focused on her. exclaimed one first-year girl, her eyes squeezed shut, her fists clenched to her chest as if anxious.
“I’m sorry… the atmosphere was so solemn… I couldn’t speak.”
“Please explain in detail.”
“My name is Tishka, a member of the apprentice librarian class that manages the student library. Actually, I have a friend who I left behind in the student library.”
The girl’s distorted face looked like she was in pain. She looked as if she was going through a difficult confession.
“Normally, we would finish the library closing work together, but today one of the visitors did not leave until just before closing time. Since he would wait and finish before leaving, I was considerate of telling him to go back to the living room first… I was going home first. It was a road.”
“So, it means that one librarian and one reader are isolated in the student library. Wait… a librarian class?”
Ziggs, who was listening to the story in the corner, stood up. She then walked up to the girl who was struggling to tell her story, looked her straight in the eyes, and she spoke.
“What is the name of that librarian who is your friend?”
“Elka. Elka Islan.”
The girl spit out the name with difficulty, sweating profusely and avoiding her gaze.
As soon as she saw the name, Ziggs’ pupils twitched for a moment.
“Elka…? Are you sure? You’re not confused, right?”
“Yes… We are learning grimoire management in the apprentice librarian class together…”
Ziggs clenched her fist and slammed the barricade behind her girl. The startled girl narrowed her eyes and took a step back, causing her barricade of wooden benches and decorative items to collapse helplessly.
“Damn it! Princess Fenia. We have to go rescue her right away.”
“Ziggs?”
“Elka is well versed in magic book management and magic power research, but she does not have the strength to defend herself. She is an aspiring scholar to begin with. If she is left alone, she will most likely be attacked by the spirits in a state of berserk. .”
Ziggs strode back to the center of her camp and knelt before Princess Fenia.
“We need to go to the student library right now and get it.”
“Ziggs Ebelstein. Are you aware that you are acting too emotionally?”
However, the answer came from somewhere else, in the direction of ‘Lortel, the Golden Daughter’.
“The distance to the student library takes a long time even if you run at full speed, and you also have to go through the spirits. I can’t estimate how much time it will take. Rather than that, we should prioritize subduing senior Yenika, who is the root cause of the situation.”
Calm and assertive tone. An infinitely realistic plan.
A temperament that is polite and calm toward superiors, but merciless toward those of equal or inferior rank.
It was a natural thing for Lortel, who lived in the cold reality of Elte Trading Company.
“I know very well that you have a soft spot for Elka, Ziggs. But you need to understand the gravity of the matter.”
Elka Islan.
She was like a savior to Zix, the spear of the vegetation, who lived a life at the tip of her spear.
As a descendant of a northern nomadic people, she is a girl who affirmed and supported the life of Ziggs, who has walked the blood-red path since he was an adult.
She can no longer live a normal life. She is the girl who taught Ziggs, who had been giving up, what human warmth is.
I remembered her always sitting in the staff seat in the reading room of the student library, smiling slightly from between the thick books. Because of her, Ziggs was able to let go of the life of a monster that thirsted for her blood.
Losing the smile that gave him new life is more frightening to Ziggs than losing his life.
“Ugh…”
However, Lortel’s extremely rational and realistic words have an irresistible persuasiveness.
She is a cunning and greedy merchant, but her words are always justified. That was a man named Lortel.
“Calm down, Ziggs. You’re being overly emotional, unlike you. Lortel has a point.”
Ziggs, the spear of vegetation, was always the most calm person among the only three members of Class A.
The eccentric Lucy and the suspicious and untrustworthy Lortel. Unlike those two, she is always just, common sense, and a well-spoken person. Ziggs’ stable demeanor is enough to make the saying ‘You can trust Ziggs’ to become a buzzword among first-year students.
The appearance is strangely different from that. Even without the princess’ insight, she was able to infer how precious Elka was to Ziggs.
“And as Tishka just said, there is one more student still in the library. Why not trust her for now?”
“That’s… ugh….”
There is definitely Yenika, the cause of all the problems in the student center right in front of you, so it would be too selfish to throw it away and run to the student library.
Ziggs knew that fact well, so she could not refute the princess’s words.
“She said there were other students, right? Ti Sica.”
“That… that…”
Tishka does not make eye contact with her and walks backwards, sweating.
Princess Fenia felt some kind of anxiety creeping up on her.
“Are you hiding something now?”
“I… that… ugh…”
It was Ziggs who got up from his seat before the princess.
Ziggs walked up to Tishka again and grabbed her by the collar.
“Tell me now!”
“Ugh… Ugh… I’m sorry, I’m sorry…!”
Only then, with tears in her eyes, did Ti Sica get down on her knees. The confession continues.
“Ed… It was Ed Rosstaylor.”
As soon as that name was mentioned, an ominous silence filled the audience, as if sinking into the depths of the sea.
“I didn’t want to talk to him because that person was sitting there until late at night, and I was so annoyed… You all know what kind of person Ed Rothtaylor is! So I just left him with Elka. Elka… that’s the rumor. “I’m the type of person who doesn’t really care about things like that… so I didn’t even know who Ed Rothtaylor was in the first place, so I thought it would be okay…”
It was the feeling of guilt that kept putting the girl in her corner. The fact that she had sent her friend to his death was very heavy on her.
“So, as expected, Elka let me go without any hesitation… I just… felt so sorry… Ugh…”
The sound of the strings of her patience being snapped was heard from around Ziggs’ head.
Ed Rosstaylor.
Since Ziggs had also passed the entrance exam, he saw the ugliness of that person with his own eyes.
– ‘Let go of this! Don’t you know who I am?! He is Ed Ross Taylor, the second son of the Ross Taylor family! Get your dirty hands off you pigs! Where are you touching your body?’
– ‘Do you think I would pull such a trick just to disgrace that filthy failing student, Tailley or something? Let go of this! What are these dirty and ignorant commoners talking about?
– ‘Taylor? Ha… the low-class, failing student is always just talking.’
Luxury, pleasure, pride, sloth, and incompetence.
He was a pitiful person who showed the bottom of a miserable human being. When the opportunity arises, he uses any of his allies as a throwaway, and he is like selfishness itself, not even thinking about the favors he has received.
It was obvious without having to listen to what the students gathered at the station were whispering.
“Ed? That Ed Rosstaylor? Then you’re in big trouble, aren’t you?”
“From what I heard, there are a lot of rumors that that person is really ugly and pathetic.”
“So the librarian is alone with that person in this situation?”
“Well….”
The berserk spirit has taken over every corner of the street, making it dangerous to even leave the room, let alone go out of the building.
The fact that the vicious Ed Rothtaylor and Elka are in such a situation.
I don’t think anything good will ever happen. If the situation reaches its extreme, Elka, who has no power, may be used as a discard by Ed Rothtaylor, or may eventually get his hands on her weak body.
Ziggs has a clear belief in Ed’s human nature. Rumors heard also added credibility.
The fact that Elka’s fate was in the hands of such a man completely blew away Ziggs’ sense of reason.
“Right now. I’m going to the student library.”
Anger that goes beyond its limits is cold rather than hot.
In a calm, calm voice, Ziggs gave ‘notice’.
The person who received the notification was ‘Princess Fenia of Charity’, a person whom even Headmaster Obel respected.
What it meant was clear. It is a rejection of the imperial command.
“You don’t follow the line, Ziggs Eiffelstein.”
The first to step forward was her guard captain, Claire. But Zix doesn’t care.
Ziggs, the Spear of Vegetation, cannot be defeated by anyone in the current situation without Lazy Lucy. Even if Claire was a member of the royal guard, there was no way to guarantee how much she would be able to withstand against him.
He, along with Lortel, the daughter of the lazy Lucy Golden, is the best wizard in the first year, recognized by Professor Glast based solely on his skills.
By the time he grew up in the land of the northern nomads, he had already had human blood on his hands.
He has always lived at the crossroads of life and death, and no one can match his ‘practical sense’.
If the lazy Lucy is a tank or fighter plane that cannot be blocked with personal strength, Ziggs, the spear of vegetation, is like a special agent who has been well trained throughout his life. Although it may be disastrously inferior in power and scale, it fully demonstrates its power in specialized fields.
Needless to say, that field is a thorough interpersonal duel situation without the intervention of external factors.
“I will suppress anyone who stands in my way of leaving.”
“That won’t work.”
Lortel, the Golden Daughter, chanted a spell. In an instant, the moisture in the atmosphere freezes, creating a huge window of ice in the air. It was the intermediate level magic ‘Ice Spear’ that blew away the ceiling of the nail tube.
Two first-year Sylvanian students achieving the highest grades at the Ministry of Magic. Ziggs and Lortel glared at each other. It was a sight not easily seen.
There was tension in the eyes of the gathered students. The gathered students swallowed dry saliva all at once and became nervous at the sudden extreme of the situation.
“I’ll admit it, Ziggs. Of all the people currently gathered at the garrison, you account for the largest portion of the force. If you are left out of the punitive force, the chances of the operation’s success will plummet. I’m sorry, but you must never leave your position.”
“That’s funny, Lortel. If you hold me by force like that, do you think I’ll cooperate properly?”
“You’ve lost your mind now. I know how much you cherish Elka, but you should at least distinguish between public and private lives. Look over there.”
If you look towards the direction where Lortel’s head is facing, you can see the summoning ceremony of Glaskan slowly turning dark red and all kinds of spirit beasts occupying the student center.
“Where are you going to leave that behind?”
Lortel looked Ziggs straight in the eyes. Lortel was disgusted by those eyes that were burning with passion.
Passion, blood, spirit, loyalty, ambition, blood, and strong will. Lortel hated it when such words were used in urgent situations. It is a word often used as an excuse by those who are dominated by emotions and cannot make rational judgments.
Since ancient times, humans must be rational and cool-headed. No matter how difficult you are or how harsh the external situation is, you must make the right decision without being misled by wrong emotions.
A person like that is truly trustworthy.
No matter how good your magical skills are or how strong your power is, if your heart is not strong, you will not be trusted. This was the first principle that Lortel adhered to while walking the path of mourning.
“I won’t be able to beat you, Ziggs, in a match like this. Still, if you fight against him with all your might, you won’t end up unscathed.”
“Tsk…”
Ziggs is superior to Lortel in terms of interpersonal fighting skills. However, Lortel is not an easy opponent either. He will have to give and receive whistles for a while. Time passes and the body will not end without injury.
It’s too much pressure for Ziggs, who has to go through the spirits to get to the library. But Ziggs shook his head.
“If that’s what you think, I have no intention of giving in.”
There was a subtle current between the two. It was the moment when a big fight was about to break out, and if you took even one step forward, the fight would begin.
“What are we going to do by splitting up among ourselves?”
Princess Fenia finally reached her limit and shouted.
“But Princess Fenia! This is Ed Rosstaylor…!”
However, Ziggs’ answer came back with more earnest force than that. Ziggs’ words, which started out almost as if he were yelling, became strangely wet towards the end.
Now, he spoke half in tears with a completely desperate face. ‘Zix, the Spear of the Grass’, who was always evaluated as a sturdy and trustworthy person among first-year students, is nowhere to be seen.
“If something happens to Elka, I really… don’t know how to live.”
The emotional tone ranged from anger to sadness and desperation.
Even Princess Fenia did not expect such a reaction.
She coldly reprimanded Ziggs for his anger and attempted to take back control of her situation. However, Ziggs’ inner self, now completely desperate, was clearly visible through the princess’ insight.
Her heart is more desperate than that of someone facing her own death. For Ziggs, Elka is truly like family to him.
“but…”
Her sincere desperation made Princess Fenia stutter her words. Her mouth opens, but no sound escapes her throat.
“That guy named Ed Rosstaylor. You know the princess well…!”
The princess knows it well, right?
Princess Fenia could not nod her head at those words.
In the first place, she doesn’t really know anything.
When I think about Ed Ross Taylor, the flow of her thoughts becomes more complicated and even the clear facts seem to be hidden in her fog.
The various images of a person’s inner self, which were always clearly visible, become vague when entering the man’s inner world.
What is the situation?
An extreme crisis situation where nothing can be guaranteed right away.
The reality is that every minute and every second is a waste. Glaskan’s summons circle is increasingly turning dark red, and although the safety of the students cannot be guaranteed, everyone gathered is looking up to him to make a decision.
Decision maker and person in charge. He felt the weight of the tag that followed him for the rest of his life, and despite this, he gritted his teeth to remain strong.
Before long, the vague remnants of her reality that were making her head dizzy again drove her into a corner.
“still…”
All eyes in the garrison were focused on Princess Fenia and Ziggs. The urgency of the situation, the complicated minds of those waiting for a decision, the position of responsibility, a situation where there is nothing to say even if a mistake in judgment leads to someone’s life being damaged.
The sound of a crackling bonfire. The back of a boy who was roughly tapping the fire with a poker. He looked straight into the princess’s eyes without any emotional fluctuations. The words pierced the princess’s heart as she opened the door to the training room and left.
The ugly look from the entrance exam when he was crawling on the floor, and the back of him passing the princess with an insensitive face and chasing her tail. The true feelings that are not clearly revealed.
Fenia’s reason, pushed into a corner… eventually makes her speak out. By the end, the direction that Princess Fenia’s sixth sense was pointing was clear.
“Still… can you… trust that man… just once?”
Silence again in the audience.
Everyone stood in silence for a long time without saying anything.
The expressions on their faces when they saw such a ridiculous scene were as if they were saying so naturally that the sun rises in the west.
“why…”
however. Ziggs lamented.
“Why do you say such cruel things? The princess of mercy I know is not the kind of person who would say such irresponsible things… isn’t she?”
To Ziggs, Princess Fenia’s words to trust that man felt like nothing more than an excuse to ignore Ziggs’ opinion.
“I… I’m going.”
Ziggs shook his head and turned his body towards the garrison exit.
“Where should I go…!”
“Lortel.”
Surprisingly, the person who raised her hand to stop Lortel from catching Ziggs was Princess Fenia. Just now, I was in the middle of saying something ridiculous like why don’t I trust Ed?
To be honest, I didn’t understand why Princess Fenia said that.
“Just let it go.”
“The princess.”
“However, you take responsibility for the results yourself, Ziggs.”
There are too many things to worry about right now. Princess Fenia’s mind was already stretched to its limit.
“I will pay for all my sins when I return.”
Ziggs, who finally understood, turned his body again and bowed his head respectfully. She fully understands how selfish her choices are. Nevertheless, if she goes to save Elka, she cannot stand against her beliefs as Princess Fenia.
With that, Ziggs slowly lifted her head and left her station with a brave face.
“Princess Fenia.”
As he watched Ziggs’ back slowly moving away, Lortel called out to Princess Fenia.
Princess Fenia slowly turned her head. There was Lortel, looking at Princess Fenia with a calm look.
Princess Fenia was able to predict what Lortel would think, even if she did not have that unique insight.
As a fierce realist, she will most likely condemn Princess Fenia’s decision. She will say that she never should have let him leave, even if it meant someone getting hurt or harmed.
She thought about that and, with her steely heart, turned to face Lortel.
But Lortel instead just smiled.
“If you think about it, it might have been necessary to respect his opinion.”
“Lortel.”
“The princess must have made this decision after much deliberation. In any case, her will was also noble, so we can’t blindly judge it as right or wrong.”
Lortel spoke so coolly as if he didn’t care about the tense duel situation just now and gave Princess Fenia his approval.
“Anyway, if there is no change in the policy of entering the student center within an hour, we will have to prepare for subjugation from now on. I will also take a break and check my condition. I hope that Princess Fenia can rest comfortably as well.”
After politely greeting her with an elegant smile, Lortel Kecheln passed by Princess Fenia.
Even though the situation did not go as planned, the way he calmly encouraged the princess and then walked away was truly an example of a subject.
However, he seemed clearly visible to the princess.
Anyone could see that the person who encouraged the princess with a sincere smile was filled with deep feelings of disillusionment.
The moment Lortel passed by her, Princess Fenia had an intuition.
From the beginning, I didn’t have a good relationship with Lortel, but from now on, I feel like there has been a gap between me and Lortel that can’t be bridged.
I am confident that even if the world turns upside down, that girl will never accept herself.
She felt that fact so clearly that it hit her to the core.
“…I’m going to get some rest too, Claire.”
She said so to her loyal guard and leaned back near the barricade in the corner of her station. Claire nodded her head and watched her surroundings with a sturdy look.
In this way, the tense situation at the garrison came to an end.
The whereabouts of ‘Lazy Lucy’, who has the greatest power, are unknown.
Ziggs, the Spear of Vegetation, which was one of the most important forces, left the garrison altogether.
The most realistic and rational ‘Golden Daughter Lortel’ was completely hostile to herself emotionally.
Despite this, she has no one but herself to keep these students centered.
