Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Midterm Evaluation (7)
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Having swiftly defeated Arbel and come to watch,
Libia Clawit and Isabel Helm.
In other words, the duel between the overall second- and third-place students among the academy's first-years,
as if signaling the end of that duel—
Thwack—!!
A clear sound of collision echoed through the arena,
and soon after, the sight of both collapsing limply...
"M-Match... ended! Both combatants are incapacitated, so it's a draw!"
The judge's declaration of a draw rang out across the arena.
"Ooh..."
Up until the middle,
it had seemed like Libia would lose after falling for Isabel's feint and taking the hit,
but no one could have imagined
that Libia, as if struck by sudden inspiration,
would exploit the explosion magic engraved on Isabel's ice spear
to deliver a devastating headbutt right back at her.
In the end, with both having lost consciousness from that brutal headbutt, the academy medical team carted them off,
and Aden rose from his seat to head back to the dorms.
'What a fun day...!'
Today, the final day of the midterm evaluations,
fitting for the grand finale event, had been even more enjoyable than expected.
Starting with the duel against Cecilia,
then the brutal matchup Arbel had suffered—one he hadn't noticed when seeing the brackets.
'T-This can't be...! How can the top, second, and third places all be crammed into one day...!'
"Pfft..."
The timid protest she'd muttered alone in the waiting room came back to mind, drawing another chuckle.
And finally...
The most anticipated match of all,
which had ended in an utterly unpredictable way...
The duel between Isabel and Libia.
Thus, the final day of the midterm evaluations
delivered tremendous entertainment,
[Achievement - {Sweeping Victory!} cleared.]
Unbelievable!
In the academy's first midterm evaluation,
you've emerged victorious against every single student!
The world is beginning to take notice of you!
All Stats +10]
As befitting an achievement of near-impossible difficulty in the game,
it granted an overwhelming stat boost...
And so, Aden's first midterm evaluation—full of both fun and solid gains—came to a close.
After the midterm evaluations,
the academy—swept by a massive storm—spent a quiet weekend...
And at last—
the day when all the academy's nobles, professors included, left for the imperial capital,
and even Chairman Eris departed the academy...
The empire's annual visitor had arrived:
the greatest founder of the empire.
And...
"Aden, we're heading out—!!"
"Yeah, see you next week, Aden."
This week was supposed to mark
the start of the main Frontier Chronicles quest at the academy:
the Baal quest, involving a near-executive of Ixion—and Isabel was part of it too,
having just left for the imperial capital.
'Is this right...?'
Watching their retreating figures,
Aden racked his brain for any detail he'd missed in the game,
but nothing came to mind.
The game never specified where Isabel was kidnapped,
so he briefly wondered if it happened in the capital,
but quickly dismissed the thought.
According to the Frontier Chronicles setting document,
in the week of Isabel's kidnapping,
the Helm marquis family hadn't even noticed her disappearance.
'Even so...'
No matter how much Isabel was ignored in the Helm household...
If she vanished in the capital,
it was absurd that no one—not even the servants—would notice.
'And above all...'
Above all...
Baal, the mastermind behind her kidnapping, was still inside the academy.
'Butterfly effect, huh...'
The only explanation that came to mind was the butterfly effect:
a variable caused by his possession of the game character.
Settling on that conclusion,
after seeing Isabel and Libia off to the capital,
Aden decided to scout the academy thoroughly.
To check for anything he'd overlooked,
or to identify any changes brought by his possession.
Isabel's kidnapping was not something he could afford to miss...
With that, he set out to investigate meticulously.
Isabel Helm.
To see off the empire's founder,
she'd used spatial transfer to exit the academy grounds
and was now heading to the empire's capital with Libia:
the noble city of {Madel} at its heart.
"Haa... I don't wanna go..."
"Hang in there, Isabel!"
However, being surrounded and fawned over by nobles and crowds,
and spending a week at the Helm marquis estate...
Both were utterly dreadful to her,
so she let out a groan at the thought,
when Libia's encouragement came from beside her as they traveled together.
"Yeah... Thanks, Libia."
Responding briefly to the cheer,
she continued their rapid spatial transfer to central Madel.
In the blink of an eye,
as dizziness from the rapidly shifting views faded—
those views finally settled on one spot.
An overwhelmingly vast expanse
filled with opulently luxurious mansions.
The city just before the imperial palace,
packed with imperial nobles' villas and high-end shopping districts.
They had arrived in the empire's capital heart:
the noble city of {Madel}.
'No matter how many times I see it, this place is a spectacle...'
True to its status as a gathering of nobles—mostly high-ranking ones wealthy enough to own estates in the capital's core—
every mansion visible was decorated so extravagantly that "lavish" didn't even begin to cover it,
a sight worthy of being called a spectacle no matter how often seen.
"I'll head off now! Catch you later, Isabel!"
Upon arrival, Libia bid farewell and turned to head to the Clawit estate alone.
'Guess I should go too...'
Watching her go,
Isabel began making her way to the Helm estate.
En route to the Helm mansion,
the sights of the imperial capital's heart came into view...
The city some called the City of Emptiness.
Yet with the empire's founder present,
it didn't match that moniker at all:
countless nobles exchanging greetings,
long-separated families reuniting joyfully.
'I'm jealous...'
For a fleeting moment,
a twinge of envy stirred within her at the scene,
but upon reaching the Helm marquis villa,
she shook it off and stepped inside.
The Helm servants bustled about hurriedly.
Having finished cleaning and tending the gardens to the best of their ability upon word of the marquis and his wife's arrival.
Creeeak—
Opening the mansion door and entering,
she saw the grand foyer and the servants bowing to two familiar figures.
'Of all the timing...'
Of all times,
her arrival coincided with the marquis couple's.
Hearing the mansion door open behind her,
the two turned to look.
The marquis and his wife.
Meeting their gazes,
her head naturally bowed low.
"It's been a while, Father, Mother..."
Approaching and offering a light bow in greeting,
no response came.
Only, after a brief pause,
the sound of footsteps echoing through the mansion.
Raising her head at the noise,
what she saw was,
as expected...
the marquis and his wife turning their backs and walking away, ignoring her completely.
'I... knew this would happen...'
Something she'd already anticipated.
Something she'd endured countless times firsthand,
yet today...
it hurt more than ever.
Creeeak—
As she watched them go, trying to compose herself...
the mansion door opened again behind her.
Turning at the sound, she saw
a man with the Helm family's signature blue hair and blue eyes.
The eldest son of the Helm marquis house.
And her younger brother...
Hermen Helm.
He entered through the mansion door.
But his appearance changed nothing.
He merely shot her a gaze utterly devoid of familial warmth—
chillingly cold—and brushed past.
'Suffocating...'
A father openly indifferent.
A stepmother who ignored her, only to torment her later.
A brother who regarded her with contempt...
All these things she'd thought herself numb to by now...
felt unbearably suffocating.
Oppressive.
Exhausting...
She wanted to bolt from the mansion right then.
But...
She couldn't.
Swallowing her frustration,
she approached the butler to head to her room in the annex.
"Butler... where's my room?"
"It's prepared at the end of the first floor, miss."
"The first floor...?"
His words—that it was at the end of the first floor—
the servants' level, just like in any noble mansion—
prompted an instinctive question,
when he replied:
"Yes, Lady prepared it herself."
The response that her stepmother had arranged it personally.
Fresh outrage surged,
but with no allies in this mansion,
she stifled it and headed to the end of the first floor.
Arriving at the far end of the first floor.
Creeeak—
Opening the door—which clearly hadn't been maintained, judging by the noise—
a plainly designed room unfit for such a luxurious mansion came into view.
'At least there's a bed...'
She had to count it fortunate that there was at least a bed and a desk,
though the situation felt utterly pathetic...
'Just one week...'
If she endured just one week here...
she could return to the academy.
With that resolve,
she began unpacking the luggage she'd brought from the academy.
'Morning, Libia, Isabel.'
'Aden! Isaaabel! Good morning!'
Today of all days...
she missed her only friends terribly...
Aden and Libia.