Indomitable Will

Seeing the [New Skill Available!] message, I immediately checked what it was.

It was the perfect passive skill for someone as frail as me. No matter how powerful the blow, I could endure it at least once. Not only that, it even granted a brief period of invincibility, giving me time to regroup. Sure, it was only once per day, but that was still huge. Compared to before, when I had to rely on striking first at all costs, I could now consider strategies that involved counterattacking without needing scrolls. Even if I took an unexpected surprise hit, I could prepare a counter. For Kael, whose body was practically made of glass, this was an incredibly reliable safety net.

“How are you feeling?”

Ophelia appeared through the parted curtain alongside Professor Esther. The professor began a quick examination. As expected, I wasn’t seriously injured anywhere. The visible minor wounds had already been treated while I was unconscious, and she said there were no other areas needing care. The only issue was that I had burned through all my mana by using even a rapid-charge potion, so I had been out cold for nearly a full day—from last night until well past dinner.

She instructed me to rest completely until my mana recovered naturally. In other words, I wasn’t to move from this bed until tomorrow. Professor Esther added that given how weak my constitution was, I should avoid using rapid-charge potions unless absolutely necessary, then left me to get some proper rest.

After she departed, Ophelia, who had been quietly watching from the side during the exam, approached and sat down beside the bed.

“Thank you.”

Ophelia spoke with her usual calm expression. It was a short statement without any embellishment, which somehow made it feel even more sincere. I felt a slight pang of guilt since I had only joined her party with the goal of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠defeating the boss to obtain a skill rather than focusing on completing the task itself. But I couldn’t exactly say that out loud, so I simply smiled quietly.

“I’m glad you’re not badly hurt.”

Ophelia continued while gazing at me steadily. Had she come all this way specifically because she was worried?

“Are you alright?”

Ophelia had also struggled quite a bit in the burning campsite while under the fear status effect, so I lightly asked after her well-being.

“Thanks to you.”

Her tone was matter-of-fact as she simply continued to look at me. Was there something else she wanted to say? Facing her doll-like face in silence felt a little awkward.

“Bridget was discharged first. It was only a leg injury, so she healed quickly.”

Just as I was wondering if I should find something to say, Ophelia spoke first.

“Bridget…? Oh, that girl.”

It took me a moment to remember that Bridget was the name of the yellow-haired girl who had picked a fight with me at the campsite, demanding I carry her bag. I had seen her leg pinned under a tree, but it seemed she had already recovered completely. Since Golden Academy was the kind of place that worked its students hard, Professor Esther truly was an exceptional healer. Something like that would have been easy for her to fix.

“The others are all safe too. They apparently ran into another group while fleeing for a while.”

It wasn’t particularly important information, but it was good to know there had been no casualties in our group. And once again, Ophelia fell silent.

The awkward atmosphere made me glance around the room for no particular reason. My eyes landed on Ophelia’s book sitting on the bedside table. Had she really been waiting here until I woke up?

“By the way, how long have you been here…?”

“I stopped by after dinner for a bit. I thought I should tell you what happened once you woke up.”

Ophelia answered before I could even finish the question.

“Since we were in the same group.”

When I thought about it, that was a very Ophelia-like reason. As the leader, she probably felt responsible for seeing things through to the end.

“I’ll leave now so I don’t disturb your rest. Get plenty of sleep.”

Ophelia picked up her book, stood up, offered a brief farewell, and left.

Ophelia stepped out beyond the curtain, still holding the book she had nearly finished. In the end, she hadn’t been able to ask.

The brilliant flash she had glimpsed through the flames right before the troll collapsed. It was still vivid in her mind. That single strike had brought down ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the massive troll. The lightning arrow she had fired earlier wasn’t lacking in power, but its purpose had been to restrain the creature rather than defeat it. The chances that one arrow could have taken down the troll were practically zero.

It was Kael who had truly faced the troll. A mage capable of felling a giant troll with a single blow. The image of him practicing magic at the scarecrow line a few days ago—the same line where the barrier had been broken—floated into her mind again.

“My lady. You were still here?”

When she opened the infirmary door, Blair was waiting in the corridor. Ophelia set aside her deepening thoughts and turned to face her.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“…No. I just arrived.”

As she listened to Blair’s answer, Ophelia wondered if she had sounded that obvious earlier when she was with Kael.

“You haven’t eaten at all today. I’m worried you might collapse at this rate.”

Blair examined Ophelia’s complexion with a dark expression.

“I was just about to eat. It would be nice if you could join me if you have time.”

“Ah… Yes. Let’s go right away.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected response, Blair looked momentarily flustered before her face brightened and she took the lead.

Before leaving, Ophelia turned her head slightly to look back at the closed door. She hoped he would be discharged soon.

“Evelyn, do you even have a brain in that head of yours?!”

Evelyn was currently getting an earful from Vice Principal Leonard, who had stormed into her laboratory.

“Releasing a boss troll! If the Lanchester family’s young lady had been injured, would you have taken full responsibility?!”

Leonard had burst in the moment the first task for the first-years had concluded ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and immediately begun raging in front of Evelyn. It was understandable. The only daughter of one of the empire’s most prestigious families had nearly been involved in a major accident just one week after enrolling. It was only because the troll had been defeated and they had passed safely that the school had avoided a catastrophe. The thought alone had been enough to send chills down everyone’s spines.

“But we did defeat it, didn’t we?”

Of course, Evelyn was not the type to dwell on such things.

“Are you trying to get yourself fired?! Huh?!”

Leonard’s voice grew even louder at her brazen attitude. His scolding continued at full volume, but Evelyn simply listened with a smile, not batting an eye. In the end, it was Leonard who ran out of steam first.

“It’s not like you caused an accident on purpose. At least tell me why you did it.”

“I already told you. He broke through my barrier just days after enrolling. Of course I had adjusted it to first-year level, but having that much talent right after admission… you can’t help but want to test him, right?”

“Even so, that was…”

Leonard spoke in a hoarse voice before letting out a deep sigh. In truth, he was well aware of Evelyn’s style. While every student entering Golden Academy had their own dreams, the academy’s fundamental educational philosophy was singular: hero development. Raising strong talents who could clear dungeons and protect people from monsters. The Lanchester family had enrolled their only daughter with that same honorable goal in mind.

From that perspective, Evelyn’s method of giving more difficult tasks to students who performed better wasn’t wrong. It was precisely why she had been entrusted with the first-year upper class. Still, this time she had come dangerously close to crossing the line.

“Next time something like this comes up, at least consult with me beforehand.”

After sighing once more, Leonard left her laboratory, completely drained. Left alone, Evelyn remained in the same expression she had worn while dealing with him, lost in thought for a moment. She hadn’t acted without consideration, either. This year’s top enrollee was truly a talent anyone would covet. But no matter how exceptional the raw gem, it couldn’t become a shining jewel without being refined through real combat. Since he already possessed the ability to break her barrier, it was only right to prepare challenges worthy of that skill. Only then could he continue to grow.

Fortunately, Ophelia had responded beautifully to her expectations. However, there was one thing that still bothered her.

It wasn’t me.

It had happened when Evelyn briefly met Ophelia after the task ended. Ophelia had said the same thing again. It was exactly what she had said the day the scarecrow’s barrier was first broken. And once again, she had mentioned another student whose name Evelyn could barely remember.

Twice now. It’s starting to nag at me.

She had laughed it off earlier, saying the girl was being too humble, but having the same thing happen twice left her with a slight sense of unease.

Who was in her group again?

Deciding it might be worth knowing the name, she began flipping through the group lists for this task.

After spending yet another full day in the infirmary following my awakening, I finally returned to daily life. Just as Dane, who had come to visit, had said, the entire academy was buzzing with talk of the troll and Ophelia.

Even though our group had given up midway, the rumor seemed to have spread because of the two who had fled at the first sight of the troll. The story going around was that ‘Ophelia had protected her fainted comrades and defeated the terrifying troll.’ Since Bridget and I had been unconscious, it wasn’t strange that Ophelia—the only one still standing—had received all the credit for defeating it. Given her personality, she probably couldn’t go around explaining the truth to every single person. It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was unfortunate for the honest Ophelia, but for me, it was a favorable situation. I had managed to defeat the troll boss and obtain the skill without drawing any unnecessary attention.

“What’s going on?”

“Whoa, this is my first time seeing her up close. Why is she here?”

After finishing the last class before lunch, the corridor outside the classroom was completely packed with students who had left earlier. They were clustered together, chattering noisily as if there was something interesting to see.

Just let me eat, you guys.

Regardless, I was starving, so I squeezed through the narrow gaps with some difficulty and pushed my way forward toward the cafeteria.

Ophelia…?

I finally understood why the lower-class students, who should have been heading to lunch, were instead gathered and making such a fuss. Ophelia was standing at the side of the corridor. It was certainly unusual for an upper-class student—moreover, the top first-year and precious young lady of the Lanchester family—to come all the way to the lower-class classroom entrance.

The moment our eyes met, she walked straight toward me without hesitation.

“Do you have a moment?”