Chapter 21
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 21: Crushed by the Disaster I Brought Upon Myself (1)
“Alicia, are you okay!?”
“Are you hurt anywhere!?”
Not long after dealing with the flesh monster, the Male Lead Candidates returned.
It seemed they grasped the situation was over after hearing the death throe the guy left.
While the unchanging Male Lead Candidates headed to the Saintess, there was someone approaching me and Kairin too.
It was none other than Senior Luciela.
Blood and dust were stained here and there on the senior's uniform; it seemed the way here wasn't entirely smooth.
“Senior, are you okay?”
“Fuhu, I'm fine. How about our juniors?”
“It's hard because both stamina and Aura bottomed out, but we're okay.”
“I went to urgent places first, so coming to you guys was delayed. I'm really sorry.”
The senior bowing her head and apologizing to us.
But her words contained more important information.
“....So terror didn't occur only here?”
“Yeah, simultaneous terror occurred all over the academy. Fortunately, most were suppressed without big damage but.. if it weren't for our juniors, the damage would surely have grown. Thank you so much.”
The senior expressed gratitude to me.
By the way, for terror to occur all over the academy... There was a reason Senior Luciela's condition wasn't good.
It must be the same reason there was no particular support while we were fighting.
Since we were a force capable of fighting the warlock, they probably went to support the more urgent side than us.
But this wasn't something for the senior to apologize for.
It was clear that this incident was the warlock's fault, and didn't the senior just come to us after running around without a break?
I comforted her who was apologizing to juniors first despite having suffered.
“Senior also suffered a lot.”
Hearing my words, Senior Luciela widened her eyes and smiled brightly.
Her usual gentle appearance was good too, but this bright smile was also very pretty.
“Fuhu, hearing Junior say that makes me feel the suffering was worth it. Juniors suffered too.”
Encouraging each other, we left the commercial district.
Like that, the first terror that occurred at the academy came to an end after hardship.
Afterward, apart from us resting after disposing of the warlock, the academy was turned upside down by the unprecedented terror.
Until now, the academy hadn't been breached by any force for hundreds of years.
Anti-state forces, cultists, numerous people knocked on the academy's door, but the result was nil.
It went so far that there was a saying that for the academy to fall, the Empire must fall.
But I knew.
That a place emphasizing perfect security while making a fuss like this, regardless of whether it's a prison or a fortress, breaking in front of the protagonist's eyes is common sense.
Veterans active as professors protecting students?
Protecting the inside and outside of the academy with numerous barrier magics?
All useless.
No, it was useful.
Since no fatalities occurred in this terror.
But thinking about it, I wondered if this was also the warlock's aim.
Warlocks were not fools.
The continent has hated warlocks for over hundreds of years.
There were even cases where two nations at war with each other would cooperate in a fit if traces of a warlock were found.
In such a continent, would warlocks who have continued their lineage for hundreds of years really be stupid?
No way.
Such warlocks are already all dead.
Then what was it that the warlock who intruded into the academy aimed for?
Fear and division.
They knew with the first attempt that they could pierce the academy's defenses and that the academy's protection would become thorough.
What is there to gain by struggling to kill a few students in an academy where all sorts of eccentric people are gathered.
Although they might fear warlocks, they will unite tightly burning with anger.
Therefore, warlocks would have thought the opposite.
If dead students unite people, conversely, how will living students react?
The result was before my eyes.
"The Academy must explain the intrusion of warlocks!"
"""Explain! Explain!"""
"Explain why you were hit again after allowing the intrusion of warlocks and hiding it!"
"""Explain! Explain!"""
At the main gate of the academy, a protest of angry students was in full swing.
Since a massive terror occurred in the middle of Franz Academy which should be the safest, their anger was natural.
Especially since it was an incident caused by warlocks, currently the most threatening existence in the continent.
Since their anger was justified, the faculty or Student Council couldn't touch them rashly.
What became the catalyst for this protest was none other than the attempted assassination of the Saintess.
Whether leaked from somewhere after the warlock's terror, information that the Saintess almost got assassinated spread among students.
Since there was already a big crisis by being breached once, but they hid it from students and it returned as a larger scale terror, what could the academy say.
But it wasn't that the academy wasn't aggrieved either.
Although the academy's history is long, data on black magic was nonexistent.
Whether nation or religion, burning it in a fit is black magic.
To respond to warlocks, one must know about black magic, but how can one research black magic that has been exterminated since hundreds of years ago.
The culprit of the attempted assassination of the Saintess, the only clue, was a disposable pawn, so there was nothing known.
Still, they back-traced his intrusion route or researched traces of black magic remaining on the body to supplement the barrier, but the warlock had already intruded and was waiting for the time, so well...
At least the reason the academy is running even in this situation is because there were no fatalities in this terror and they are doing their best to recover the injured.
"Senior, you are suffering a lot."
"Ah, is that Ethan. Thanks."
I handed coffee to Senior Luciela who was preparing for any possible situation near the protesters.
Although the senior worked hard to organize the situation running all over the academy immediately after terror occurred, unfortunately, because of the position of Student Council, she couldn't even rest.
As a result of the sense of betrayal toward the academy overlapping on top of fear of warlocks, the protesters are in a situation where they are burning most intensely.
Like a tightly pulled rubber band, it wouldn't be strange if a riot really broke out if anyone made a mistake.
"Are you hurt anywhere, Junior?"
"Yes, well, since the Saintess was next to me. What about you, Senior?"
"Fuhu, I'm fine except for being a bit tired."
Unlike usual, there was a shadow in Senior Luciela's eyes.
Since she belongs to the Student Council, it seemed she suffered preparing for additional intrusion of warlocks.
Ideally, I wanted to tell her to rest a bit, but the situation being what it is, it couldn't be helped.
"When this matter ends, let's go eat together. Since you suffered, I'll treat you then."
"Oh my, is it a date request?"
"Yes. It's a date request."
"Eut...!"
Senior Luciela's face turning red as I broke through frontally after she attacked playfully.
It was good to see her unchanging appearance.
Ideally, I wanted to see her reaction a bit more, but perhaps having gotten used to it after being hit a few times, the senior regained her composure quickly.
"Then I'll be looking forward to it?"
"I'll have to search for gourmet restaurants diligently. Please look forward to it."
"Yeah, go in safely."
After greeting her, I left the protest site.
The next place I headed was the training ground.
Since not much time passed since the terror, the training ground was relatively quiet.
But it wasn't completely empty because none other than the Saintess and Asel were there.
Feeling their own powerlessness fighting the flesh monster, they were rather burning more after the terror.
They weren't the only ones thinking like this, so some of the students who didn't attend the protest were stimulated by them and training hard.
The same went for me.
Although I wasn't the type to neglect training usually, I was also among those who felt powerlessness when fighting the flesh monster.
If luck called holy water didn't follow, being helpless would have been the same for me too.
Since the warlock's terror would be at most about volume 1 in terms of a novel, the reason to become stronger was clear.
"Asel, wanna have a spar?"
"Sounds good. Come up."
Midterm exams ended, but we became busier than ever.
After finishing training, I sent contact to my master after a long time.
Since there were things Master had done all this while, I intended to live a bit leisurely at the academy, but the situation changed.
Honestly, I did live a bit leisurely.
It was true that I pursued a higher realm to become a knight, but ultimately that was a means for a comfortable future.
My skills were clearly in the top tier even among classmates, and when predicting the enemy's level matching the Saintess's level, there was no need to whip myself.
But now the story changed.
A monster that even the Saintess holding the Holy Sword couldn't beat.
In front of that, I was also powerless.
I only barely solved the problem because there was a variable called holy water; ultimately, I couldn't overcome the flesh monster with my power alone.
What if the Saintess hadn't coincidentally made a bet with me and I, who won there, hadn't requested holy water?
If Kairin hadn't arrived on time?
If Kairin didn't have holy water?
Ultimately, this victory was just a lucky victory created by coincidences overlapping coincidences.
Enemies will continue to invade the academy in the future.
Thinking about that point, I couldn't just rely on luck forever.
Someone might think like this.
If it's an enemy even the protagonist can't beat, wasn't it originally something that could only be solved if Senior Luciela arrived?
Couldn't it be that the warlock and the Flesh Giant were designed so the protagonist group couldn't win from the start?
But so what?
If due to the butterfly effect occurring because of me, the Saintess or Male Lead Candidates lose to an enemy they should win against, ultimately I also have to step up to handle the situation.
Although it wasn't my will, I have already become too deeply involved with the Saintess's group.
Ultimately, even to protect my future, I had to become stronger.
Woong-!
At that moment, light entered the communication crystal ball.
As I received the signal, a familiar face was seen beyond the crystal ball.
"What is it? What's with contacting me?"
"Master, what should I do to become stronger?"
Master asking the business in a crooked sitting posture as if annoyed.
Hearing my question, he looked at me with eyes saying something happened to this guy.
"Did you lose to a classmate or something?"
"It was a chimera made by a warlock."
"....Tell me in detail."
Master pulled his chair and approached close to the crystal ball.
I explained to Master what happened a while ago.
The warlock causing terror at the academy. The matter of fighting the Flesh Giant in that process.
I told him everything, including winning using holy water but being unable to respond properly because we couldn't pierce the guy's regeneration.
After hearing all my words, Master scratched his head vigorously as if annoyed and said.
"Is that so? Got it. I'll go soon."
"Yes?"
"Phew, having one unreliable disciple makes it look like I have to teach other brats too."
"........?"
What does this mean?
I couldn't understand Master's words.
At that moment, Master started rummaging through a pile of letters pushed to one corner of his room.
"Ah, here it is."
Master roughly peeling off the envelope and taking out the contents.
He brought a letter and asked.
"What is your timetable?"
Master suddenly asking for the timetable.
Although doubtful, I brought a notepad for now and showed him the timetable I had made.
"Uh, okay. Got it. Then there are no particular schedules at this time and this time, right?"
"Yes."
"I'm going to make a lecture, so keep the time empty."
"....Yes?"
He turned the letter toward the crystal ball and showed the contents.
On the letter, a title called Professor Invitation Letter was written.
The sender was none other than Franz Academy.
In other words, Master's words meant he would come here and train me.
"Is that possible coming now?"
"Didn't you say you got terrorized by a warlock? They'll need even one more skilled person, and it's good if there's someone to teach, so there's no reason it won't work."
".....Damn."
"What did you say?"
"I said it's too good."
I couldn't be certain yet if that would work or not, but usually unfortunate predictions fit perfectly, don't they?
I felt somehow I would be crushed by the disaster I brought upon myself.
'Haa...'
Life became sorrowful.