Chapter 227
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 227
“What do you mean…?”
A school trip? Now, of all times? When the entire continent was reeling from the massacre in the Gilbert Kingdom?
The school trip season usually fell around April or May, at the start of the semester, but such things were always subject to change based on the circumstances.
When I asked in a dubious tone, the Chairman added an explanation.
[I know it sounds absurd, but it is the best course of action right now. For you, for Roen, and for the students. I ask that you trust me.]
The Chairman was adamant, his tone leaving no room for argument. There had to be a clear intention behind his insistence.
…If I view this school trip not as a simple event, but as a means to relocate a large number of students, the answer becomes clear.
After all, the Chairman had explicitly told me to choose a destination as far away from the Union as possible.
After pondering his intentions for a moment, I carefully posed a question.
“Is there a reason why the Union must be evacuated?”
[…]
The Chairman’s silence was his answer. He couldn’t respond immediately, but there was a definite reason for pushing ahead with the trip.
The Chairman spoke again.
[I have given detailed instructions to Watson. If you have any more questions, you can consult with him.]
“Then, what about you, Chairman…?”
Boom—!
An explosion echoed from the other end of the line. The Chairman spoke over the noise.
[I must remain here and clean up the mess. Fortunately, it seems most of them have retreated beyond the wall, so I just need to take care of the remnants. You don’t need to worry about the students’ safety. You can rest easy as well, Miss Freya. I’ll be hanging up now.]
The next day.
We visited the Chairman’s office to consult with Watson. When we arrived, an elderly gentleman in a white suit, sporting a magnificent mustache, greeted us.
“I have been waiting for you. Please, come in.”
We exchanged brief greetings before getting straight to the point. Watson began with a smile.
“You need not worry about the safety of the Ishtal students. I’m told the enemy’s main force retreated once the Empire and the Lu Cult began to dispatch troops in earnest.”
If the enemy’s main force had withdrawn, the massacres would stop. Of course, there might be monster attacks due to the power vacuum, but that was hardly as dangerous as a systematic slaughter.
Above all, with the Chairman personally on the move, there shouldn’t be any major issues concerning the safety of the Ishtal students who had returned home.
“You can set your mind at ease, Miss Freya.”
Watson patted Freya’s shoulder before moving on to the next topic.
“Now, we must decide on a destination for the school trip, as the Chairman commanded. What are your thoughts on this, Roen?”
“To be honest, I don’t think the reaction will be very positive.”
A school trip while a massacre was unfolding on the other side of the continent sounded far too carefree. In such a grim atmosphere, most would argue for restraint.
On the other hand, there would also be students who had been looking forward to the trip for a long time and would welcome it, regardless of recent events.
“Yes, but regardless of their reactions, the students must leave the Union for a while. The first-years will have a retreat, the second-years a summer camp, and the third-years a school trip.”
Watson intended to mobilize not just the third-years, but the entire student body for external events. This aligned with the Chairman’s advice to get them as far away from the Union as possible.
For reasons I didn’t yet know, they were trying to get every single student out of the Union. Approving the leaves of absence for the Ishtal students was likely an extension of that same plan.
“May I ask the reason for this?”
To try and move all the Union’s students out so suddenly and unnaturally…
In response to my question, Watson answered with a deeply troubled expression.
“Because the Union is in danger.”
“Danger?”
“Yes. An invasion is imminent. The Union is not a suitable place to defend against their attack.”
“I would think the Union could easily repel most attacks…”
The Union was originally an outpost built in an undeveloped region. It was protected by multiple layers of magic barriers to guard against monsters and demonic beasts. It was also defended by professors who were masters in their respective fields, as well as knight orders and mage corps dispatched from all over the continent. Furthermore, the combat power of the automated golems guarding the Union had been significantly increased by the implantation of next-generation cores.
Finally, with a Grand Mage like the Chairman standing guard, its military strength should be comparable to that of a major nation.
Watson replied.
“You are correct, but this invasion is not the mere whim of some Venerable. They plan to use this as the signal for their conquest of the continent. It will be a large-scale invasion from the Demon World.”
“…”
“As you said, Roen, the Union’s forces are quite strong. It would be a long, drawn-out battle, but if we were to fight back, the Union could hold out for quite some time.”
Watson set down his teacup and continued in a firm voice.
“However, the Union is ultimately an island. If we are blockaded, we cannot expect outside help. We are also incapable of self-sufficiency when it comes to food. If the battle drags on… we may face a terrible end.”
It was obvious what final choice humans would make when faced with starvation.
Freya asked.
“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to send all the students back to their hometowns?”
This time, I answered.
“We can’t just shut the Union’s gates without a proper reason. And if we reveal that a large-scale invasion from the Demon World is planned, the resulting chaos would be unimaginable. That’s why we have no choice but to use the pretext of external events.”
Evacuate the students in preparation for the enemy invasion. That was the true purpose of this school trip.
“I believe you understand the situation now?”
Freya and I nodded. If the enemy’s target was the Union, then getting the students out by any means necessary was the right call.
“Excellent.”
Watson then met my eyes and spoke cautiously.
“And there is something I must discuss with you privately, Roen.”
A week later.
After discussions with the student council presidents of each academy, the destination for the third-year trip was decided: the Sea of Trees in the southern part of the continent.
The safest places on the continent were the Empire or the Holy Kingdom, but since those had been designated as destinations for the first and second-years respectively, we had no choice but to go to the Sea of Trees.
Hearing the result, Kiriel’s eyes widened.
“Y-You’re coming to our side?”
“That’s how it turned out.”
The Sea of Trees was far from the Union, just as the Chairman wanted, and it was a place rich in spirit energy, making it difficult for demonic energy to take root.
Spirit energy and demonic energy are fundamentally incompatible.
Even if the enemy attacked, they would have a hard time utilizing their full strength there. Of course, the military power of the Sea of Trees was significantly weaker than that of the Empire or the Holy Kingdom, the heartland of the Lu Cult, but it would be difficult to recklessly attack a place under the protection of the Spirit King.
Moreover, the Sea of Trees wasn’t a bad destination for a school trip in itself. It might be a bit hot and humid, but there were many things to see and experience. Recalling what happened on the jungle island made me uneasy, but we wouldn’t be playing a survival game like last time, so there was no need to worry.
“But the timing is so tight… I think we’ll need some preparations.”
The school trip was only a few weeks away. Normally, it would be difficult to accommodate so many people on such short notice.
“You won’t have to prepare anything special.”
I found out that the Chairman and Ariel Silverwalker had been in communication since the end of the academy festival. It seemed that, separate from the recent incident, the destination for the third-year school trip had already been leaning toward the Sea of Trees. Though I doubt they anticipated having to move up the schedule so abruptly.
“There are a lot of people who don’t want to participate. What are you going to do about them?”
“What do you think? We have to drag them all along.”
Since this school trip was effectively an evacuation, we couldn’t just leave those who didn’t want to go behind in the Union. If what the Chairman and Watson said was true, the Union would soon become a battlefield.
Beatrice, who had been watching the situation silently, commented.
“Forcing a school trip in a situation like this… The Chairman really does incomprehensible things. There was a major incident during the last summer camp, and the mood across the entire continent is grim.”
“I know, right? Or maybe there’s another intention behind it?” Elena said, looking at me.
Her gaze was gentle, but it felt as if she was probing, asking if I knew the real reason. Freya and I just exchanged glances and shrugged. The fact that the demons were planning to invade the Union was top-secret information for now.
Elena continued.
“Still, many students are happy about this decision. It’s a tense situation where it’s hard to focus on studies, so they think it’s a good idea to go on a trip to change the atmosphere.”
She had a point. With students giving up on their studies and returning home one by one, it was impossible to concentrate. Through a group activity like a school trip, we could hope to tighten the loosened resolve and build bonds among the students.
“Alright, the destination is decided. The floating ships will arrive after the midterm exams, so organize your schedules in advance.”
The enemy also needed time to prepare their forces before launching a large-scale invasion. According to the Chairman’s prediction, their attack was scheduled for after the midterms. We would leave the Union on the floating ships before then.
A few weeks later.
Meister’s workshop.
Despite being busy with various matters, I had continued the process of creating the homunculus.
The growth rate of a homunculus was significantly faster than that of an ordinary living being. Finally, the cultivation was complete, and the homunculus was ready to emerge from its glass tube.
I stared blankly at the homunculus, which was floating inside the tube, curled up like a baby.
An artificial lifeform I created.
Even though it lacked intellect and a soul, it felt strange to have created a living being with my own hands. The homunculus in the tube now had a human-like form, unlike its previous state as a mere clump of cells.
At first, I had considered shaping it into a creature that would cause less ethical resistance, like a cat or a dog, but a homunculus, unlike a chimera, could only be made in human form. Moreover, since the soul contained in the Karma Orb was human, it would be strange to transplant it into an animal’s body.
Of course, although it had a human form, it was still genderless and had no distinct facial features. It was like a smooth mannequin, reminiscent of a statue before the detailed carving begins.
How should I design this?
From now on, I had to begin the work of shaping this homunculus to suit its intended purpose and abilities.
Even if it doesn’t need reproductive functions, I need to decide on the skeletal structure based on gender beforehand.
The skeletal structure of a homunculus directly influenced the nature of its magic circuits. The properties of the magic circuits were determined by the shape of the body—the vessel that contained them. A male body’s magic circuits were explosive and powerful, while a female body’s were flexible and versatile.
Therefore, I had to decide on the skeletal structure in advance according to the homunculus’s intended development path. Also, since it was a human form, it would be better if it were aesthetically pleasing.
If it were female, there were many people around me to model it after. If it were male, I could model it after Roen. It felt strange to say it, but Roen was at least handsome in appearance.
Just as I was contemplating how to design the homunculus’s appearance…
“…!”
A thought flashed through my mind like lightning.
Wait.
Make a homunculus modeled after Roen?
“…”
I blankly lowered my gaze to the homunculus in the glass tube. In truth, a homunculus modeled after its creator wasn’t that rare. Who wouldn’t think of trying to clone themselves?
But my thought went a step further.
A homunculus with the exact same appearance and mana signature as Roen.
For me, at least, this held a special meaning.
What if I could use this homunculus to escape my fated death?
The future scene Joshua had seen… in the end, it was just a fleeting glimpse.
It’s possible. It’s actually possible…
I clenched my fists, feeling a shiver run down my spine.
I can live.
Thump—. Thump—.
My long-stilled heart began to beat again, a sensation as if my empty, hollow mind was being filled with life once more. It felt as if the blocked path to the future was unfolding before my eyes again.
Amidst this exhilarating sensation, another thought occurred to me.
Alchemy!
Perhaps Roen had been walking the path of alchemy precisely to prepare for this future. What kind of future had he seen, and how had he been fighting it all alone?
“…”
And at the end of these various thoughts, I was finally able to understand the meaning of the words written at the end of Roen’s diary.
Deceive the world.
That will be the only way for you, and for me, to survive.