Chapter 73
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Fading Inferno
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The flames consuming its own body.
The blaze that had seemed eternal began to flicker and die.
The mine flared up even more fiercely in response, and since those flames were kindling themselves with its flesh, the rate at which its body burned away accelerated.
—Kieeeaaaaak!
Flames enveloped the mine's body.
With nothing left to burn, it was merely the death throes clinging to life by devouring its own form.
The blaze burned fiercely, yet it swayed precariously as if on the verge of snuffing out, a pitiful shadow of its former glory that had once conjured purgatory with overwhelming might.
The demonic energy, resisting the blue star of the white night, froze solid and plummeted to the ground.
A mine bereft of demonic energy was nothing more than a mindless beast.
A pathetic creature unable to muster even a tenth of its true power.
No longer did the demonic energy regenerate its body.
No longer did it reinforce the village.
No longer could it attack or defend in its stead.
Elin watched the mine.
Her long eyelashes slowly lowered as she witnessed its final moments.
'Professor Prezel.'
It had been a short but intense bond.
During the entrance interview, she had promised to be a nest for her, and when subtle bullying arose, she had stepped forward to protect her first.
Finding Professor Aiden had largely been thanks to Professor Prezel.
Even beyond that, the counseling sessions, the words she couldn't share with Professor Aiden that she poured out simply because they were both women.
Professor Prezel knew she loved cocoa and scones.
'That's why.'
—Kieeeek!
Its arm, fully consumed by fire, crumbled to ash and collapsed to the floor.
The mine cried out in even greater agony and despair.
Elin opened her eyes.
"Let's set aside the details for now and see this through to the end."
This was the final courtesy.
The floating water orb shimmered in the air before streaking forth with a sharp whistle.
Bang!
Before the corpse golem could howl in the blistering heat, the mine froze in place.
Stripped of its demonic energy, both arms reduced to ash.
In that state, it had no means to block the magic Elin unleashed.
It lost its head and crumbled.
As always, it sought to bury itself in the snowfield, but the corpse golem reached out toward the mine.
A bundle of elongated corpses.
Countless arms left by the dead extended like tentacles, wrapping around the headless mine's body.
In this moment, the dead mine was just another corpse.
If the fire-weak corpse golem absorbed the mine...
The panicked mages hurriedly began chanting.
But their relief had dulled their reactions, and by the slimmest margin, it seemed the corpse golem would absorb it.
Elin cried out inwardly.
'No matter the reason, I won't let it be defiled like that!'
No matter the justification, she didn't want to watch Professor Prezel's remains mingle with the corpse golem!
But Isel, who had concealed herself silently within the blizzard piercing the eye of the storm, was one step faster than Elin.
—Grraaah?
A grotesque metallic screech emanated from the corpse golem, and Elin let out a dazed croak.
"Isel... Senior?"
"Just as Elin said, it's not as squishy as I thought."
Isel had blended seamlessly into the snowstorm after the grand magic concluded.
And in this critical moment, she drove her sword into the corpse golem's core.
Frost clung to the blade, and as if unconcerned by the rigidly congealed corpses hindering penetration.
Her enchanted sword gleamed sharply toward the tiniest gap exposed on its back, like a hyena spotting prey.
She twisted the deeply embedded blade, shattering the cracked core.
Crunch.
As the enchanted sword pulsed with infused mana, the corpse golem's core splintered apart.
—Graaaaaah!
The corpse golem's body collapsed, spewing out all the corpses it had devoured in heaving bursts.
At the very least, with Isel's strike amid its death throes threatening to drag her down, Radia withdrew her sword and summoned a vortex to seal its end.
Thud.
Amid swirling snow instead of dust, the Magic Tower's mages beheld the fallen twin monstrosities and erupted in cheers.
Only one person did not join the cheers.
Elin, staring at Professor Prezel's wretched remains.
Isel silently shared in Elin's brief mourning, lost amid the others' joy.
The Tower Lord, lightening the mood considerably, turned to Elin and her group.
"What brought you to the Magic Tower?"
"Professor Aiden said the tower would help. He mentioned rescuing the students..."
Elin glanced at the fallen corpse golem.
The Tower Lord nodded in agreement.
Indeed, without that golem, the tower would have actively moved to save the students.
"I see. Then, may we hear about that mine?"
"We don't know the full details either. Only... that the mine was Professor Prezel."
The Tower Lord gasped in shock.
"A Magic Department professor?"
"Yes."
As Elin delivered the calm verdict, Isel added an explanation.
"We need to head to Professor Aiden."
At those words, the excited mages turned skeptical.
"But that place..."
"Professor Aiden will handle it just fine, don't you think?"
"Our mana is mostly depleted anyway."
Ignoring the murmurs of regret around her, Isel stared straight at the Tower Lord.
"We need to tip the scales between Professor Aiden and the enemy. In this tug-of-war at a deadlock, who falls decides whether the academy repels them or the earth dragon ravages the entire grounds."
The Tower Lord read the intent behind Isel's words.
"You mean we handle the swarming beasts and mages."
"Professor Aiden is facing unnecessary risks, overextending to clear the beasts pressing from below because of us. This time, we protect him."
The Tower Lord, whom they assumed would refuse outright, deepened in contemplation, prompting the mages to raise their voices.
"Tower Lord! We must conserve our strength!"
"Save the students first, and when the Central Knights arrive, we join for Professor Aiden..."
The tower's mages knew well the fierce battle Professor Aiden waged.
Having suffered against just one corpse golem, their desire to avoid it was palpable.
Radia, who had listened silently beside them, trembled with rage.
Isel felt much the same.
'Even if Professor Aiden orders it, they're all dead anyway.'
If that earth dragon created a massive sinkhole and toppled buildings, no defensive magic, however mighty, would matter. The Magic Tower was no exception.
Radia glared at the sneering mages who called it nonsense.
"If Professor Aiden falls in the line of duty, think carefully about who the palace will hold accountable."
At Radia's words, the mages fell silent, then bristled with anger.
No, they tried to.
"I, too, from the Drake Ducal House, will testify as such."
Her icy gaze swept the room, silencing all.
Even if the Magic Tower's prestige soared, they could not ignore a ducal house with profound influence among the empire's founding contributors.
Especially when culpability was clear and the ducal house stepped forward to testify...
"Hah, but! It's a suicide mission!"
"A mana-less mage going there is..."
Radia's gaze naturally shifted to the Tower Lord.
A piercing, unrelenting chill.
To the Tower Lord, something else shone in Radia's eyes.
'Haa...'
Succession issues were complex and sensitive in any noble house.
High nobles with territories assigned sub-fiefs to direct kin for governance.
They typically competed, weighing innate talent against maternal lineage support.
But...
'The Pisvolt and Drake houses are exceptions.'
The Pisvolt Grand Ducal House, second only to the emperor with its grand duchy, seemed rife with succession intrigue, yet it wasn't.
Up to the previous generation, they pitted collaterals against each other ruthlessly, but this one...
'Professor Aiden.'
A master, one in billions, born into the house—moreover, the one inheriting the thickest blood as the second son.
With the firstborn dead for some reason, the succession ended there.
The next Pisvolt Duke was Aiden.
And another.
Not to Aiden's extent, but Radia was the eldest daughter displaying exceptional talent among her peers.
A firefly overshadowed by the sun that was Professor Aiden, yet among fireflies, one beyond measure.
Through fair competition, ever at the pinnacle, Radia was marked as the Drake heir.
And Professor Aiden had elevated her yet further...
The Tower Lord's gaze upon Radia was far from kind.
It showed even in her direct words.
'She harbors grudges.'
Shrinking back now might invite not just immediate imperial reprimand, but pressure from the entire ducal house later.
'As they say, a gentleman's revenge is not too late even after ten years—but this won't even take that long.'
Truth be told, she didn't need to think that far; the answer was already set.
The Tower Lord bowed his head.
"I apologize for my tower's retainers' disgraceful conduct. We will of course comply with your request."
"Tower Lord!"
Horrified mages cried out from behind.
The Tower Lord quelled them with a frosty glare.
"Flee if you wish expulsion. I won't stop you."
With expulsion as his ultimate threat, the mages fell silent.
"But it is true our mana is depleted. Lady Radia—forgive me, Lady Radia of the Drake House. If we follow Student Isel's words, it seems mere tower assistance won't suffice..."
The address shifted from student to lady.
Since Radia invoked the Drake House, it signaled treating her as a member thereof, not merely a student.
Radia accepted the change without objection.
"The Martial Arts College professors are cooperating now that safety is secured. Aid for the Magic Department building will come with handling the mine..."
Radia shot glares at the mages who had raised their voices.
A clear promise to remember.
The Tower Lord raised a hand to shield them.
"The Magic Tower will spare no support within reach. But until they walk out on their own, they remain my retainers—please refrain."
We will discipline our own.
Radia looked up at the Tower Lord, then stepped back.
Pushing further after internal discipline was promised would breed backlash.
But if they used a feather duster, Radia would intervene anytime.
The Tower Lord knew this, so the mages' loose tongues would not escape lightly.
"Understood. Then the tower will cooperate."
"We owe Professor Aiden a debt. The young ladies... and students as well."
Without them, the tower alone would have suffered greater losses against the corpse golem.
With all records on the taboo-ridden grand battle lost.
'Though I'm puzzled how heretical mages knew that.'
Unaware fire was its weakness, it wouldn't have ended thus.
"Then while we gather our forces..."
"Check the Alchemy Department."
Radia tilted her head.
Alchemy Department out of nowhere?
They weren't much use in combat.
Of course, in crisis, they needed rescue... but time lost made Professor Aiden's side more urgent.
The Tower Lord tossed it out casually, as if expecting as much.
"A student there wages a reckless solo stand. The tower was too occupied to extend aid, but I'm certain that student will aid your efforts."
Elin, who had stayed silent, widened her eyes.
"Arion!"
From Elin's ear seemed to echo the prior deal between Professor Aiden and Arion.
A mere exchange hardly qualifying as a deal.
The demand: if someone nearby needed help, save them without reward.
Arion had faithfully upheld it.
Protecting the combat-inept Alchemy Department students.
Seeing Elin's urgency, Radia grasped the gravity as well.
"Senior Radia."
"...Prepare until we return."
"Understood."
Then Radia glanced at Isel.
Professor Aiden was holding strong, but leaning too much risked the irreversible.
Time was of the essence.
"Isel."
Radia called to Isel.
No lengthy words, but Isel read the intent in her eyes and nodded.
"You two rescue Arion. I'll rally the professors."
"Right. Thanks."
After Radia and her group departed, Isel gazed toward the ongoing battle in the distance.
Finally, preparations to head to Professor Aiden were complete.