Poisoned Chalice (1)
It took more work than I expected.
From my perspective, who knew how strong Dyke Elphelan was, I already estimated that there was absolutely no way he would be defeated, considering my current specs.
In addition, to make the situation more clear, I learned high-level magic perfectly through Lucy. This is to take into account all possibilities, even one possibility.
I memorized the elements I needed to know, such as the theoretical part and the method of applying magic-sensitive elements, over and over again, and when I raised my practical sense, I was able to quickly acquire high-level magic.
It’s hard to say that I ‘learned it quickly’, but it seems like I crossed the line several times during the duel with Lucy… but it was a necessary process.
– Wow!
I returned to the waiting room leaving behind cheers. As I passed through the iron bars and entered the quiet interior, I saw the waiting room, unchanged.
I quickly took off my shirt, which had become nothing more than a piece of mat from rolling and running around on the dirt floor, and simply opened the door to the supply storage box that had been prepared. I took off my top, shook off my clothes, took out my spare school uniform, and returned to the central table in the quiet waiting room.
No matter how many times I say it’s okay, it’s the school uniform that Belle Maia washed.
It seems like just yesterday that we would stay up all night repairing a sleeve if it got even a little torn, but now we even have spare school uniforms.
From these little details, I feel like things have changed a lot from before. It feels like there is no bottom or end to every single thing, but it feels overwhelming.
“Why did you watch it?”
A familiar voice came without warning.
The reason I wasn’t surprised was because I could tell who it was just by listening to that strangely weak and sleepy tone.
When I looked closely, I saw Lucy lying on the other side of the waiting room sofa that had been prepared for her convenience. I couldn’t see the other side because of the backrest, but since when had I been there?
Perhaps she was worried that I had suddenly started to overexert myself recently, or maybe she just wanted to see the duel…
Lucy turned her head and sat down on the cushioned area on the other side, blurting out words.
There were minor scratches from fighting back and forth with Dyke, but there were no wounds that could be considered fatal.
To be honest, each and every blow of that incredibly powerful fist was truly threatening, but it was not a level of attack that would allow a direct hit.
Absence of decisive battle sense. Dyke, who was not born with such a sense, had no flexibility at all equal to the destructive power of his blows.
The power itself may have been called the most destructive power in the combat department, but that was all.
At the peak of his growth, he will never be able to catch up with natural warriors like Ziggs or Clevious.
Those two people will become much stronger than Dyke once they reach their third year. It’s just that I wasn’t able to absorb all the systematic teachings and efficient training methods of the combat department professors.
“I didn’t see it.”
“If you had decided, you could have finished it from the beginning.”
“…”
Dyke Elphelan was unable to break through Merilda, the high-ranking wind spirit.
If he had gone out with a staff from the beginning, summoned Merilda, and formed a battle line centered around the wolf, and if he had only induced long-distance combat using Lacia and Mug, Dyke would have been helpless.
But I allowed close combat.
To the audience who knew nothing, it would have looked like Dyke had overcome everyone with his willpower and clung tenaciously to me to continue the fight… but
to Lucy, who knew all of my specifications in detail, it would have seemed like an unnatural sight.
It was as if the fierce and persistent battle had been staged.
“I don’t know what you were thinking, but if I had made a mistake and allowed even one room…”
Lucy said that, grabbed the brim of her hat, raised her upper body from her seat, made eye contact with me, and then suddenly sank back onto the sofa across from me, as if sinking. Buried.
The series of actions was so natural that I felt like I was playing a video in reverse.
“…Why are you naked?”
“I need to change my clothes. “You can’t go out and see the festival like this.”
“Speak up.”
“what?”
“You should have told me you were changing.”
“What… this is new…”
In fact, considering Lucy’s actions so far, it was strange that she felt uncomfortable to this extent.
Whenever I am washing myself in the stream next to the cabin camp or fixing my clothes, I can see Lucy curled up and taking a nap on a nearby flat rock.
Take off your top and tell me in advance what to do. There’s no reason to complain, and in fact, you’re not the type to do that… Lucy buried herself on the sofa on the other side with her hat down.
“It was necessary. “Anyway, I had no intention of losing, but I wanted to at least show the audience what kind of person Dyke Elphelan was.”
“why?”
“That way, your position within the family won’t be difficult. “At least I showed my willpower in public.”
In fact, among the festival audience, public opinion about Dyke Elphelan was receiving evaluations such as ‘He lost but fought hard’, ‘He showed a worthy fight’, and ‘He was outstanding in terms of willpower and spirit.’
If Dyke had left after being beaten helplessly, Dyke, who was highly dependent on his family, would have had no room to speak out.
“Besides, it was politically necessary.”
“okay?”
“okay.”
As I buttoned up my shirt and turned over my robe, Lucy stood up her tiny body and waved the ends of her loose sleeves.
“Well, let’s wait and see how things progress. “Why are you here anyway?”
“I came to see you because I was worried about you. “You weren’t in a normal physical condition because you were practicing magic.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be attending a concert at Ofilis Hall with Vice Principal Rachel at this time? As the valedictorian of the entire school, they decided to sit in the front row and chat while watching the show… I remember hearing this from Belle…” “
…”
When I said that, Lucy broke into a cold sweat without even showing any signs of hiding it. I started shedding a lot.
“… Did you run away?”
“I don’t know much about music or anything like that.”
“Vice-Principal Rachel, knowing that well, would you attend a concert or something like that? “It’s just a show event.”
“I don’t do things like that for show…”
By now, I could clearly see Belle Maia looking through the entire university with her eyes lit up.
Lucy was sweating profusely and looked at the bottom of my shoes out of the corner of her eye. It seems as if he is begging you not to give it up too soon.
“Whoa…Lucy. I have no intention of preaching to you, but I still have to fulfill my responsibilities. is not it?”
“…”
“Of course it’s something you didn’t want, but with great power and a high position comes responsibility.”
I buttoned up the sleeves of my dress, tapped the toes of my shoes on the floor, and put them on again. Then, I looked at my clothes here and there to make sure there was nothing particularly disheveled, and then carried the old clothes towards the cabinet.
Since Belle Maia is a servant, she cannot discipline Lucy.
So, even though it may not be a particularly pleasant thing to say, I have no choice but to say it for now. In the first place, there was almost no one in this school who would listen to what Lucy had to say.
“You know very well that people in positions of influence and people with great power live with responsibility. “Once you reach that level, there’s no one who runs away just because they don’t like it… It’s something that can’t be helped.”
– When I
opened the door and gave a sermon that was not a sermon, Tanya Rosstaylor was curled up in the cabinet.
“Oh hello. Brother. “The festival management committee put up 191 items on the agenda, and I was in a daze…”
I ended up covering my eyes with my palms as he greeted me so naturally.
*Everyone passing through the hallway of the sparring hall building was looking in this direction while making noise.
Because I couldn’t believe the sight of three people coming out of the waiting room and sitting side by side on chairs in the hallway next to it.
Lucy Merill, a senior at Sylvania Academy.
and student council president Tanya Rosstaylor.
These are people who can be considered main characters at most student gatherings.
The sight of such people sitting together in one place, staring blankly into space, made passers-by feel an indescribable energy.
I recognize the face, but I can’t pretend to know it.
I don’t think I should disturb them just because three people, including me, are gathered quietly.
There is a strange feeling that just watching from a distance is the right thing to do.
I am just sitting quietly waiting for all events to be completed and to have an audience with the Emperor.
But why are Lucy Mayril and Tanya Rosstaylor here?
As I was sighing in the middle of the bench, covering my temples, the two girls sitting awkwardly on either side of me caught a glimpse of me…
Lucy Mayril ran away from the concert event.
Tanya Rosstaylor ran away from her job on the festival management committee.
…They are fugitives.
The only thing they have in common is that the place they took refuge in is where I am. Anyway, the two of them had a strange habit of hiding around me when they ran away.
It was fortunate for Ziggs Eiffelstein and Belle Maia, who were in the position of pursuers. Once he’s gone, all you have to do is search around Ed Rosstaylor.
In the end, these two are people who will be caught soon.
“Well… it’s been a while… Senior Lucy…”
“…”
Lucy quickly raised her head, made eye contact with Tanya, and then quickly laid her small body down on the back of the bench.
Lucy has seemed strangely talkative lately, but in reality, she’s a normal girl who doesn’t show much interest in anyone she meets.
As someone who was lucky enough to become friends with Lucy, I was curious about how she communicated with other people.
Additionally, the relationship between Lucy and Tanya is quite strange.
At one point, he was a full-fledged supporter of Tanya, and at another time, he tried to prey on her, then apologized again and resolved their relationship… but now, there are no hard feelings left between them.
Although they haven’t always maintained a very good relationship, Lucy and Tanya have been seeing each other for quite some time.
From Lucy’s point of view, it would have been easy to treat her warmly, but she seemed to still not feel very friendly, so she strangely moved closer to me and snuck away.
“Did you run away from Ziggs again…?”
“I know I shouldn’t do this, but… I’ve developed a habit of backing away and then running away when I see documents piled up to the ceiling…” “
…”
“Is this some kind of phobia? Suddenly, I started to feel out of breath and realized that I had to get out of this place. When I came to my senses, I found myself running across the Square of Haksak-dong…” ”
I’m on the verge of tears…”
“I tried to run away, but anyway. It’s all something that needs to be resolved later… but once you run away, you feel relieved… I think I’ll become addicted to this…” “
No, in the first place, work efficiency has improved since Anis joined the student council. “Did you?”
“Of course it is, but it’s festival time…”
Oh, that’s definitely true.
These days, the workload of the student council is bound to skyrocket.
“Surprisingly, running away… There is a strange feeling of pleasure that tickles a person’s heart…”
“…”
It was difficult for me to answer, so I stayed still and saw Lucy, hiding behind my body on the other side, nodding her head vigorously.
Then, his eyes were sparkling as he looked at Tanya, and it seemed like a strange consensus had been formed.
“…I wonder if it is right to form a consensus in that direction.”
“Senior Lu Lucy, are you also in the position of running away?”
“Basically, most of the time he is outside is when he is running away. “I rarely attend classes unless they are required for graduation.”
A silent prayer to Bel Maia, the pursuer.
“And yet you’re still maintaining top grades?”
“To begin with, the actual performance scores were ridiculous. “You probably know his grades.”
“That’s right. But as far as I know, the accumulated penalty points for the bachelor’s degree at Ofilis Hall are enormous…” “Because the
practical scores are so high that they more than offset all of that…”
Lucy Mayril is a student who can handle the highest level of magic at the student level. He is the only wizard who can do this.
There are less than five people in the entire empire who know how to use the highest level of magic. Among them, except for Lucy, the rest are all grandparents with wrinkles.
He is a guy who is so far beyond the student level that the very reason he attends Sylvania in the first place is filled with questions. Because most people don’t know the truth about Glokt’s will.
“By the way… I enjoyed the sparring, brother. “Every time we meet, he seems to get stronger exponentially, so to be honest, even from my younger brother’s perspective, it’s a bit scary.”
“For someone to say it in such a fuss, I don’t feel that surprised.”
“is that so? In fact, after becoming the student council president, I may have become calm because I was constantly filled with admiration every day…”
Tanya shook her head for a moment and lamented about her situation, but then lowered her voice and spoke.
“Is it Princess Fenia’s idea to give all the credit to Princess Selaha?”
“Didn’t I say something to you too?”
“Well… I can’t go to the royal residence very often. “I knew something was going to be done, but I didn’t know it would be like this.”
To be honest, Tanya’s reaction was unexpected.
This is because I thought Tanya would ask why she did such a thing after seeing her so openly bow her head to Princess Selaha, whom she had always treated as her friend.
However, since becoming student council president, many changes have occurred within Tanya.
Above all, perhaps because of Lortel’s strong influence, I feel like I have the ability to make rational decisions even in embarrassing situations.
Although he always whines and whines, his eyes become sharp when he needs to make political decisions.
“If you want to divide the opposing force, there is no point in forcibly inciting conflict and trying to appease them. Above all, the Elphelan family has had a symbiotic relationship with Princess Selaha for a long time.”
The Elphelan family and Princess Selaha’s forces have a long history of exchange.
In particular, the current head of the Elphelan family, Balberon Elphelan, had a deep relationship of trust with each other, to the point where he knew many of Princess Selaha’s deep secrets.
If you want to break down such a relationship of trust, there are limits to using forceful separation and conciliation.
We must make the Elphelan family feel dissatisfied with Princess Selaha. However, a trusting relationship that takes time cannot be broken down so easily.
So you have to attack very slowly.
The reason the Elphelan family follows Princess Selaha is because they are confident that if she ascends to the position of emperor, they will also be able to rise to a higher status and government position.
We need to break down that confidence.
All it takes is for a more special competitor than the Elphelan family to appear.
A family with much more capable talent, a family that has already seized power once and is therefore skilled in government positions, a duke family with much more authority than the count family, and a family with a much stronger and more capable successor… Selaha bowed his head. He will become the princess’s descendant.
With that alone, the position of the Elphelan family is shaken.
Even if you think about it from the perspective of the Elphelan family, they will feel that it is much more efficient to use the Rosstaylor family as a medium rather than to use themselves.
That little seed of doubt.
The seeds of anxiety that they may become sacrificial horses used and discarded in order to gain power are secretly and surely planted in the gap between enemies.
That… will be the starting point that ultimately causes the Elphelan family, Princess Selaha’s closest allies, to lay down their loyalty.
– ‘Selaha would probably like to have you. Because he comes from a prestigious ducal family and is strong and influential.’
The story of Princess Fenia, who whispered quietly on the terrace of the royal residence.
– ‘Until now, you have been in a completely hostile position, but if you first bow your head, acknowledge authority, and approach her thoughtfully… Sister Selaha will never be able to turn away from someone like you. Ed Rosstaylor… You are a person who possesses all the elements that Sister Selaha likes.’
– ‘If you suddenly act like you’re being friendly, won’t you be wary of that as well?’
– ‘It would be like that at first. Still, Selaha… she will never miss this bait.’
A platinum-blond-haired girl who inherited royal blood speaks with faint eyes as she puts down her teacup and looks up at the blue sky.
– ‘If I had the chance to get my hands on a man named Ed Ross Taylor, I would do whatever it takes to grab it. But… for Sister Selaha, the person called Ed Rosstaylor is poison in itself.’
Corridor heading towards the waiting room.
The large gate at the other end opened, and several soldiers with the imperial emblem on them pushed into the hallway.
There would probably be some time left before the emperor could be seen, but the imperial guards had moved first.
This is not a troop moving for an official schedule.
It seemed like the troops that Princess Selaha had brought along to act on her own. As expected, the sparring schedule has not been completely finalized yet.
After all the performances were over and before going out to see the Emperor… he made the first move and came to see me.
Not anyone else, but Princess Selaha herself. To treat me alone.
The one who came out through the soldiers was a princess with an alluring look and sharp eyes.
Selaha, the Princess of Frost, revealed herself in earnest. Lucy,
as always, buried her face in my shoulder with blank eyes and was breathing heavily, while Tanya was silently swallowing dry saliva without anyone noticing.
It is rare for someone born with royal blood to visit someone in person. Usually, you will be called to the reception room of the building you are in.
However, she came all the way to the waiting room hallway to meet me in person.
The expression revealed was still full of wariness.
