Mandragora
When I regained consciousness and opened my eyes, the classroom came into view. Standing around me were the members of Group 4, whom I had been fighting just moments ago. Seeing Yuri’s face among them, it seemed the mock battle had officially concluded.
"Zeto... that last move..." Standing beside me, Yuri stepped closer, her voice laced with a hint of worry.
She was referring to Chapter 2, the technique I had used to cut down her teammates.
Indeed, thou couldst have cut her down, yet thou didst stay thy hand... So thy goal was second place from the very beginning. Following Yuri’s words, Sierra’s voice, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, echoed in my mind.
Unlike my previous fight against Group 1, the members of Group 4 had been clustered close together. Because of their proximity, I had plenty of time left on Chapter 2. Naturally, I could have struck Yuri down as well, but I chose not to. My target was second place, after all.
In fact, to trigger a more severe backlash, I had intentionally let the timer run out while the skill was active. In the end, everything played out exactly as I had choreographed. My sword had stopped right at Yuri’s throat, and immediately after, I had coughed up blood and collapsed.
Yuri’s expression was stiff. It was understandable; from her perspective, I had launched a terrifying attack only to suddenly spit up blood and collapse on my own. It was bound to cause confusion and concern. To be fair, I had ended up coughing up a bit more blood than I had initially anticipated.
"I was just pushing my limits since it was a phantom magic simulation, so you don't need to worry too much," I said, offering Yuri a reassuring smile to brush it off as nothing major.
"..."
"Congratulations on first place."
"Ah... yes..." Yuri replied hesitantly, clearly still unsettled despite my sincere congratulations.
I had to navigate this in a way that felt natural while maximizing my gains. Thanks to that, I was able to practice Chapter 2... and I also learned exactly what happens when I push myself too hard before fully recovering.
"That was quite an astonishing speed. I believed you would employ the same technique you showed in our previous duel..." Orphel, who was standing next to Yuri, spoke up.
Orphel possessed a spell that allowed him to react to that kind of speed, so it was a fair observation. It was a defensive spell where several shields made of water and ice orbited his body, automatically blocking attacks independent of the caster's conscious will. It was a highly effective defensive magic, though I couldn't recall its exact name since I hadn't used Orphel as a companion very often in the game.
Of course, since I possessed Dispel, it was highly debatable whether that magic would have worked against me anyway. Even during our brief clash earlier, I had already spotted several weaknesses in both Orphel's and Yuri's spells.
"...Everyone must be waiting, so let us return to our seats," I said to the still-dazed Yuri and Orphel, before heading back to where the other cadets were gathered.
"Over here, Zeto!" Crank called out to me, holding a piece of bread.
Amon, Crank, and Lucia were all sitting together, munching on bread. Guided by Crank's call, I took a seat beside them. The moment I sat down, Crank handed me something wrapped in a paper bag. I accepted it, the savory aroma immediately catching my attention.
"What is this? It smells delicious."
"Bread. Aren't you hungry?"
"Ah, thank you. I will enjoy it."
When on earth had they gone to buy bread? It was hard to resist the friendly pressure of Crank's generous smile as he offered it. Seeing how quietly Amon was eating his own bread, it seemed even he hadn't been able to withstand Crank's hospitality.
"Zeto... I'm so sorry... If only it weren't for me..." Lucia took a small bite of her bread, her eyes welling with tears.
"It is fine. Everyone worked hard," I replied, gently patting Lucia on the back.
In truth, I was actually grateful to her. Thanks to her, our descent to second place had looked entirely natural. Still, I had no desire to be grouped with her again in the future.
Well, even if left to her own devices, Lucia is bound to have at least one major moment of glory later...
As I was reflecting on Lucia's future, Amon spoke up, addressing me.
"To lead Lucia and still secure second place is no small feat. I did nothing useful myself, so I have no right to speak. I can only apologize to you, Zeto."
"Not at all. As the leader, I should have commanded us better," I replied in a calm, humble tone.
The performance seems to have wrapped up nicely.
But considering how unusually humble Amon was being, I took a moment to review the battle in my head...
...Amon had scored exactly zero kills. Crank had died before the battle even properly began, so he was an exception. Lucia had scored one teamkill... and somehow managed to take down one of Group 4's members right before she died, bringing her total to two kills. Amon, on the other hand, had simply charged blindly at Orphel and died instantly.
Ultimately, the only thing Amon had contributed to the mock battle was turning himself into a spinning top. The sheer absurdity of it brought a natural chuckle to my lips.
While engaging in idle chatter with my teammates, I casually scanned the rest of the classroom. Yuri still wore the same uneasy expression from earlier. I probably should have toned down the blood-spitting. I felt a bit guilty for worrying her unnecessarily.
Meanwhile, Eisel, who was sitting with Group 3, remained completely motionless, her head hung low.
Suddenly, Edward spoke up, drawing the attention of the cadets who had been chatting in their respective groups.
"Now, this concludes our small-scale mock battle. It wasn't as easy as you thought, was it? As promised, Group 4, who claimed the glorious first place, will be given the opportunity to choose a weapon from the armory! That concludes today's class... Would the leader of Group 2, who unfortunately took second place, please come forward to receive your reward? Group 4, please remain in the classroom for a moment."
With that, Edward's exceptionally long class finally came to an end. The cadets who had no business with the rewards began to file out of the classroom.
"..."
Among those leaving was Eisel. Hadn't she agreed to go to a cafe with Yuri? Regardless, having just fought an unidentified enemy, she was bound to be exhausted. Since Yuri was heading to the armory anyway, Eisel was likely heading back to get some well-deserved rest. Her expression was as blank as ever, making it impossible to read her thoughts.
I stopped staring at Eisel's retreating figure and approached Edward. He handed me the Mandragoras, adding a brief warning: "That technique of yours seemed quite dangerous. Be more careful in the future."
The Mandragoras, wrapped carefully in cloth, numbered four in total. Since there were four members in our group, it was exactly one per person.
Furthermore, feeling a sudden surge of strength coursing through my body, it seemed I had leveled up. I immediately opened my status window to check.
A smile naturally formed on my face. It was the perfect conclusion to the day.
...Is it possible to reinforce thy body while invoking the Second Chapter, thou askest? ...It is possible, but the duration of the technique would be shortened accordingly. However, with thy current skill, it remains beyond thy reach.
In response to my question, Sierra offered a small, amused smile before delivering her characteristically firm answer.
After class, I had returned straight to my dormitory to converse with Sierra. Our topic of discussion was the second chapter of Reverse Heaven.
Ultimately, Chapter 2 was a technique that multiplied my physical speed tenfold. I had reasoned that if I could reinforce my body with mana normally, increasing my base physical speed, the technique would yield an even greater effect.
However, invoking Reverse Heaven required twisting the flow of mana. When I used Chapter 2 earlier, I had felt that normal body reinforcement was impossible while my mana was twisted, which prompted my question. But since Sierra confirmed it was possible, it seemed to be a matter of skill level—specifically, a lack of proficiency.
The cadets were still in the early stages of their growth, and because they were facing this technique for the first time, they couldn't react to it. However, the enemies I would have to face in the future were a different story entirely. Among them were those who could easily react to the speed of my current Chapter 2.
I suspected that Sierra, who had created Reverse Heaven, had designed this technique specifically to keep pace with the Sword Saint. She must have been particularly mindful of the Sword Saint's absurdly fast drawing techniques.
Although the Sword Saint never fought directly in the game, I had seen his disciple, Kaen, utilize his swordsmanship... so I had a rough estimate of its terrifying caliber.
Well, the Sword Saint was a concern for the distant future. For now, my immediate goal was to condition my body so that I could utilize both Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 freely and without backlash.
But... canst thou truly consume all three of them...? Sierra looked at the three Mandragoras resting on my desk with a look of sheer disgust.
I had managed to acquire three Mandragoras in total.
"Take it, as we agreed beforehand," Amon had said, handing his over.
"We only got this because of you, Zeto! Please take it!" Lucia had insisted, pushing hers into my hands.
"I don't think I deserve to receive this either..." Crank had also tried to hand his over, but I had declined. Instead, I advised him that selling it at the academy auction over the weekend would fetch him a handsome sum of money.
Amon and Lucia might have been a handful during the battle, but to me, they were a blessing in disguise.
"...Is the taste truly that awful?" I asked, pinching my nose shut.
Honestly, I could tell just by the smell. But still, there was a chance the taste wasn't as foul as the odor suggested.
Sierra frowned deeply at my foolish question and spoke.
Ugh... It is difficult to even put the taste into words. Do not ask this Lady; try it for yourself. Sierra looked as though she loathed even the memory of the taste.
I picked up one of the Mandragoras. Its grotesque, twisted shape certainly didn't scream appetizing. Soon, the herb touched my tongue.
The taste of the Mandragora was... far beyond mere bitterness or astringency. It was a foul, putrid taste that perfectly matched its horrific smell. Nevertheless, keeping the thought of extending my Chapter 2 duration firmly in mind, I forced myself to chew and swallow.
Th-thy willpower is truly extraordinary...! To consume it without even a single gag... Sierra, stroking her chin, stared at me with a look of profound gravity.
I was simply holding back the urge to vomit with sheer determination. After all the effort it took to get these, there was no way I was going to spit them out. Fortunately, unlike the eyeballs of a lycanthrope, the texture was relatively normal.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, by the time I started on the second Mandragora, my tongue had gone completely numb, and I couldn't taste a thing. By the time the third Mandragora finally slid down my throat, I felt completely drained of energy.
I couldn't yet feel any sensation of my health or mana increasing.
"Will this actually have an effect...?" The thought lingering in my mind slipped out of my mouth.
Well, the energy should begin to circulate soon, Sierra replied, tossing her hair back and speaking in a gentle, soothing voice.
"What happens when it does?"
Thy body will burn with a fever... and thou wilt feel a strong urge to expend the overflowing energy... But if thou dost, the efficacy of the herb will diminish, so thou must remain still.
No sooner had Sierra finished speaking than beads of sweat began to form on my forehead. My body temperature was rapidly rising. Since she told me to rest, I immediately lay down on my bed. Trying to remain still while my body practically vibrated with restless energy was proving to be no easy task.
Furthermore, because of the intense heat, I eventually ended up stripping off my shirt. However, with Sierra present, I couldn't bring myself to take off my pants.
Watching me, Sierra approached with an indifferent expression, slowly lying down beside me and resting her head against my shoulder. Whenever I lay down, she always made sure to lie down right next to me. She then raised her index finger and began to lightly trace my skin.
"Master, that tickles..."
This Lady is merely inspecting her disciple's physical vessel as his master... As she spoke, Sierra's face, for some reason, appeared slightly flushed.
I was the one who had consumed the Mandragora, not her.
I wonder if I'll even be able to sleep tonight...
Ever since I met Sierra, it felt as though the nights were always incredibly long.
***
I managed to completely absorb the Mandragoras.
In the game, consuming them simply increased your health and mana instantly, so if Sierra hadn't warned me to remain still, I might have wasted a significant portion of their efficacy. While there were no drastic physical changes, my body felt noticeably firmer and more robust.
The results were highly satisfying.
The limit of Chapter 2 had been drastically extended to a whopping nine seconds. Even if I used it in three-second bursts, I could now deploy it three times in a single combat encounter. Although I had lost consciousness while testing the limit, thanks to that, I was able to experience Sierra's soft lap pillow once again.
As an added bonus, my mana pool had also expanded, allowing me to utilize Chapter 1 with much greater ease.
I was incredibly relieved to have completed all of this before our upcoming field trip. With this level of strength, I felt confident handling the second boss. I was also prepared for the potential threat of Barsium, just in case.
Time flew by, and soon, it was the day before the field trip.
I was currently waiting for someone in a deep, secluded alleyway where people rarely ventured.
Honestly, why must we wait in a place like this...
Just as Sierra began to grumble, a girl stepped into the alleyway. Given the nature of our relationship, I figured she would actually prefer a quiet, discreet location like this.
With every step she took, her pink twin-tails swayed gently. It was Kaen.
Leaning against the opposite wall, Kaen finally spoke.
"What is it? Do you... need my body again...?" As she spoke, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
Need her body...
She was asking if there was another incident outside the academy that required her assistance. There was really no need for her to phrase it so suggestively, but perhaps she viewed it as a sort of secret code between us.
"Haha, no, I do not need your body. The field trip is tomorrow. ...Actually, I wanted to give you this."
I held out an item to Kaen. She accepted it, her eyes widening with curiosity.
"Gloves...?"
"Consider it payment for last time. They will help when wielding a sword. I do not know if you will like the design, as I cannot see, but the material is excellent."
The item I handed to Kaen was a pair of sleek, dark gloves that seemed to swallow the light.
◈ Balanced increase in Attack and Defense.
◈ Slightly amplifies Attack Power during the night.
Since we were both swordsmen, our useful equipment overlapped, which was a bit of a shame. But what could I do? If I wanted to keep utilizing her talents, it was only right to provide proper compensation.
"Hmm..." Kaen immediately slipped the gloves on, turning her hands over to inspect them. Though she let out a quiet hum, her face clearly betrayed her satisfaction.
"Since it is payment... I will accept them without hesitation. Thank you," Kaen murmured softly, her eyes glued to the gloves. Despite her indifferent tone, she couldn't hide her delight. She was always one to appreciate anything that looked cool.
"More importantly..." Just as I was about to wrap up the conversation, Kaen hesitated, letting her voice trail off.
As I tilted my head in confusion, Kaen stepped closer and whispered in my ear.
"Has any information come in from your informant...? Like information on the enemy in the North, where we are going for the field trip..."
"Ah, the information... I am currently looking into the North. But... I should know before we board the airship," I replied, making up a quick excuse.
She was completely immersed in the 'setting' I had fabricated. In reality, there was no informant.
Perhaps I can make use of this during the field trip as well. If Kaen was willing to be proactive, it only benefited me. I would have to see if there was a task she could assist with before we boarded the airship.
"Then, please call me whenever you need my body. Or I will find you on the airship. ...Thank you for the payment." With that final whisper, Kaen turned and slipped out of the alleyway.
She was acting exactly like an operative of some covert, underground organization.
...Well, as long as Kaen didn't suspect anything, it was fine.
Fortress Polwin.
Our destination for the field trip, and the place where the second boss lurked. A Lich, frozen in the bitter cold of the North, was waiting for me.
It looked like I was about to become very busy once again.