Chapter 10
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: A Well-Laid Trap
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“That was fortunate. Thanks to the artifact catching them off guard, we were able to end it relatively easily.”
Carlo's true strength lay in his storm-like barrage of lightning and his equally fast Blinks.
His hit-and-run blitz, utilizing his specialty in Double Casting, was a proven combat style that had made him the top student of the Magic Department.
If Ruina hadn't taken down Alia so quickly, the outcome could have been reversed.
“No matter how I think about it, using an artifact feels a bit... cowardly.”
“If it were a problem, the teaching assistants would have intervened.”
“I suppose you're right.”
Ruina nodded, as if she had no other choice.
“In any case, we won thanks to you.”
“Still, you did well to focus only on Alia while that spell was coming down.”
“Didn't you tell me to do just that?”
“I know I'm the one who said it, but did we really have that much trust between us?”
In the long run, they would need more, but for now, they were bound only by money.
“If we weren't partners, it would be a different story, but since we are, I just thought I should trust you.”
Of course, it wasn't just that. Pernyan had already proven himself during their sparring session. That's why she had thought he must have had a plan.
She just didn't know it would involve an artifact.
“Spoken like a true knight. So, where to next?”
“North, of course. Though we should probably recover some stamina in a safe place first.”
“I have potions. Plenty of them.”
The two slowly made their way north.
Not too far away, a single pair of eyes watched them.
“…Unexpected.”
Grad, a professor from the Knight Department, had a glint of interest in his eyes.
Carlo and Pernyan. Ruina and Alia.
Grad had thought Carlo had the higher chance of winning in the former matchup, and Ruina in the latter. After all, rankings at the academy weren't earned by being good at poker.
Rankings represented a clear difference in skill. Fourth place was better than tenth, and the top student was better than the runner-up.
He had naturally assumed Carlo would take down Pernyan first and then pressure Ruina to secure victory, but…
“An artifact.”
Grad stroked his chin.
He didn't think there was anything wrong with using an artifact. This practical exam was meant to simulate real combat, and he was prepared to allow almost anything, short of truly malicious tactics.
That said, he hadn't considered the possibility that someone would actually use one.
“As expected of a Fallenberg. If he has that kind of money, I wish he'd drop a few more coin purses at my house.”
In any case, artifact aside, the method of using metal to counteract lightning magic was quite clever.
“Is this Professor Rosalia's method?”
It was the kind of approach she advocated—using the properties of magic and elements to achieve maximum efficiency with minimal investment.
“Interesting.”
He smiled.
* * *
*Kwoooar—*
The northern mountains weren't just filled with rocks and trees.
Goblins, kobolds, gnolls, orcs, trolls, and even ogres. The place was teeming with monsters that lived in the mountains and forests.
The professors had intentionally concentrated the students in the southern part of the northern region, making clashes between students the priority. But once they moved past that area, they began to encounter the true denizens of the land.
With a scream, a gash was carved into a troll's chest. But it regenerated almost instantly.
“Cut its neck in one go!”
“I know that!”
Ruina twisted her body in mid-air. The troll's crude club swung through empty space, carving a deep scar into the earth.
At that moment, the ground beneath the troll's feet rose up. The creature staggered and fell, and Ruina's sword sliced through its neck.
She flicked the blood from her sword and caught her breath.
“Tired?”
“I'm fine.”
Pernyan chanted a spell. A light cleaning magic washed away the dried blood from Ruina's armor and face.
But he wasn't done. A portion of his mana seeped into the troll's corpse, twisting its body as if wringing out a cloth.
“…Do you really have to do that?”
“Troll blood is a key ingredient for making potions.”
“I know that, but surely you're not at a level where you need to fuss over every little thing like this?”
Pernyan took an empty glass bottle from his subspace and replied.
“Money is money, no matter how small the amount.”
“Isn't that why people say you're too obsessed with money?”
“That obsession is what allowed me to recruit you, so it was a profitable venture.”
“……”
After placing the blood-filled bottle back into his subspace, Pernyan changed the subject.
“All done. Let's get going.”
“Yes.”
Pernyan and Ruina steadily continued north, and the exam was now on its final day.
“Did we take out seven pairs, or was it eight?”
“Eight pairs. I'm looking forward to the bonus points.”
“You're completely obsessed with your grades.”
“I have a reason I must become the top student.”
He knew. He knew she was aiming to become a Royal Knight.
While not all of them were, most Royal Knights were former top students of the academy.
As such, being the top student of the Knight Department was often treated as a minimum requirement for becoming a Royal Knight.
As they chatted and walked, they arrived near their destination with exactly one hour left until noon.
Pernyan and Ruina did their best to conceal their presence.
“Do you feel them?”
“There are quite a few.”
At least twenty, by a conservative estimate.
While they had treated every student they encountered as a source of bonus points on their way north, it seemed not everyone had done the same, as some were gathered in groups of more than two.
A tense peace was maintained, with everyone warily watching each other.
“I see how this is going to play out. They said we'd get points deducted for being too early or too late.”
“It looks like a clash will break out when the time comes.”
It would be convenient to take them all out, but their opponents were all academy students. If they banded together to attack the two of them, Pernyan and Ruina would be the ones eliminated.
So, they decided to wait until the time was right, until a commotion started.
It was obvious this peace would soon be shattered anyway.
The change occurred about 30 minutes later.
“It's Almon!”
“His Highness Ludger is with him!”
The shouts came from the west.
Pernyan and Ruina turned their heads. And they understood why they had appeared so brazenly.
“Their numbers…”
“Did they gather all the students from the start and bring them along?”
“They didn't avoid fighting entirely. There are faint traces of battle on their armor and swords.”
They must have fought some, while sparing others to bring them to their side.
It was a move made with the expectation that most students would be hiding near the destination.
“Just like an imperial prince…”
He just has to make a show of it. Pernyan clicked his tongue.
“What will you do?”
“Since the attention is on them, it would be best to avoid a direct confrontation and use this chance to get closer.”
And set up a few tricks, just in case.
Pernyan stealthily began to move.
* * *
“They're not here.”
Ludger scanned the area. He could sense people here and there, but the ones he was looking for were nowhere to be found.
The pair of Ruina Bercefe and Pernyan Fallenberg.
The pair of Carlo Deneve and Alia Torta.
Those were the pairs he was watching most closely.
“What kind of person is Pernyan?”
“Why the sudden question?”
“It's just that you seem particularly concerned about him, Your Highness, even though he's only ranked tenth.”
Ludger smirked at Almon's words.
He was indirectly asking why they needed to pay attention to Pernyan, ranked tenth, when the runner-up, Ruina, was a more obvious threat.
“Isn't it strange?”
“What is, Your Highness?”
“The Fallenbergs made a move against the Bercefes. Anyone who knows anything knows that.”
A full-scale pressure campaign was launched to cut off their funding. Though they maintained a certain line, it was a clear overstep for one Elector to scheme against another.
“Everyone just kept quiet because the Fallenbergs' reach and influence are so vast. The Fallenbergs invested quite a lot for that.”
That’s how difficult it was, even for the Fallenberg Family, to interfere with the Guardian of the North.
“But then, after Pernyan visited the Fallenberg estate, he suddenly partnered with Ruina.”
“A deal must have been struck between the two families.”
“That's my assumption.”
“But I doubt they can accomplish much just by becoming partners…”
“True.”
Becoming partners didn't mean much on its own. Nevertheless, Ludger wanted to disrupt their relationship and their grades.
“It may seem meaningless for now, but the Fallenbergs always play the long game. The surest way to deal with them is to extinguish even the smallest spark.”
Partnering with Ruina was, by all appearances, a move to improve his grades.
“If a guy who was deliberately hiding his skills is now using Ruina, doesn't that seem suspicious?”
“You think Pernyan was hiding his skills?”
“Yes.”
That's why he was suspicious, why he was wary, and why he wanted to disrupt their plans. A corner of Ludger’s mouth lifted.
He looked at the 14 students following him and spoke.
“Go. All of you, go and eliminate everyone hiding up ahead.”
He added one more thing.
“We will take the top ranks.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Let's go!”
“Some of us fought our guts out to get here while others were hiding like rats? They're all dead!”
The students following Ludger clashed with those who weren't.
* * *
Watching the chaotic brawl involving dozens of students, Pernyan let out a hollow laugh.
“Just like Ludger. He plans to wipe everyone out and then decide the rankings among his own followers.”
“What do you think will happen?”
“It will go as Ludger planned.”
The other side had more numbers, but Ludger's group was superior in quality. The outcome was clear.
“But what if we join in?”
“Is there a need for that? We can just sit back and watch, then head to the destination when the time comes.”
As they say, the best victory is one won without fighting.
“Look. They're so busy fighting each other that there are only five minutes left. This is our victory.”
“…Unfortunately, I think it's too early to say that.”
Ruina gripped the hilt of her sword. Pernyan's head turned to follow her gaze, and his face hardened.
“Ruina? Pernyan?”
“When did they get over there?”
“Were you hiding this whole time while we were fighting?”
The battle was already over. The pro-Ludger faction, now reduced to eight students, stared at them, breathing heavily.
“Pernyan. What are you doing, sneaking around like a rat?”
Their leader, Ludger, approached leisurely.
“Trying to get first place.”
“We didn't give you permission to take first place.”
“It’s not something that requires anyone’s permission.”
“It does. At least for now.”
“Get them,” Ludger muttered, and the students began to charge.
At the sight, Pernyan slammed his staff into the ground and began to chant. A magic circle started to form.
No, the magic circle had already been drawn.
“Huh?”
“What is this…?”
Beneath the students' feet, a pre-drawn magic circle began to glow.
“Time for a nap.”
A hidden mana amplifier in his pocket bolstered Pernyan's power. A massive amount of mana surged.
*Rumble—*
“Run!”
“Break thr—!”
*CRASH—*
A massive wall rose up, swallowing all the students. A ceiling closed over them, sealing off the sky.
Not a single one was an exception.
—!
——!
Impacts echoed from within the dome. As the dome trembled, Ruina nodded.
“It happened just as you said it would.”
“I'm exhausted.”
“To think you even carry magic reagents with you.”
When drawing a magic circle, magic reagents were used to enhance the quality of the spell. A torrent of mana from the mana storage and amplifier, combined with the spell enhancement from the reagents.
Thanks to those two things, a prison capable of trapping ten students had been created.
“The mana storage, amplifier, and reagents are a secret. I want to keep them as a secret weapon for now.”
“Didn't Carlo and Alia already see them?”
“They aren't stupid. They wouldn't tell anyone else about it.”
In the end, everyone was a competitor.
“I understand.”
*Still, this feels cowardly no matter how I look at it,* Ruina muttered to herself.
“But how long can it hold?”
“I can only hope it holds for the remaining time.”
“What happens if it doesn't?”
“What do you think?”
They'd have to face the wrath of ten angry students, including the top student of the Knight Department and the runner-up of the Magic Department…
“We're screwed.”
* * *
———!
With a deafening roar, the dome was breached.
“It's broken!”
“How long did we have to hit it? Was Pernyan this strong?”
“Are all tenth-rankers like this?”
The pale-faced students murmured amongst themselves.
“…He completely got us.”
Ludger let out a hollow laugh.
He didn't think it had taken them that long. But the appointed time must have passed, as Pernyan and Ruina were nowhere to be seen.
“He really was hiding his strength, just as you said, Your Highness.”
“I told you, didn't I?”
Ludger ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
“I won't fall for that again, Pernyan.”
Grinding his teeth, he spoke to Almon.
“Let's go, Almon.”
“Yes.”
Ludger shouted.
“We may have lost first place, but other than Pernyan and Ruina, nothing has changed. As we agreed, we will take the top ranks, so enter in order.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Yes!”
The first to enter was, of course, Ludger.