Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Fake Knowledge, Fake Sage☆ (1)
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“…”
Hilde’s voice came from over the phone.
Even through a fantasy world’s phone, crackling with static.
There was no way I wouldn’t recognize that clear, distinct voice.
‘Hilde must have recognized my voice right away, too.’
She probably got used to the sound of it during our first year, when I was constantly chattering away next to her. I still make liberal use of the Pretty Filter now, but it was on a whole other level back then.
As a man in a woman’s body, the clumsy words I’d used to try and get closer to a girl. I was afraid to even ask what kind of impression they’d left on the Hilde of today.
‘Because, for a very brief time… I seriously thought of Hilde as a potential partner…’
A fleeting emotion from a time long past suddenly surfaced.
A time when my identity as a man was much stronger.
A faint feeling that had brushed past me in those days.
A feeling I never wanted her to find out about now.
“…!”
I flinched.
I hastily shook the memory from my head. With my free hand, I lightly tapped my cheek, trying to ground myself in reality.
Tap, tap…
The soft feel of my cheek and the tingling impact.
‘Get a grip… This is an emergency.’
Vel had just stood up from her seat. I needed to inform Hilde of the situation at the garrison and, furthermore, coordinate with the United Student Council. Then, I had to hear Hilde’s explanation of the unusual circumstances and decide on a course of action.
I organized my thoughts, but for some reason, I found myself at a loss for words again.
‘…Hilde must be surprised to hear me in the garrison office.’
We shared what felt like an eternity of silence, lasting only a few dozen seconds.
“…”
“…”
“Um…☆”
“Hey.”
Drat… we spoke at the same time.
“…”
“…”
Silence returned.
I let out a hollow laugh at myself.
I tapped my cheek again with my free hand to bring myself back to reality.
Tap, tap, tap…
As my senses slowly returned, a wave of embarrassment washed over me.
‘I’m old enough to know better, what am I doing…’
Just then, I heard a faint noise through the phone. It was a classic thunderclap, the kind you’d hear as background noise in a horror movie or an old Chinese film.
Rumble—
“…?”
And then, the sound of thunder again.
This time, it was clearer and louder.
Rumble—!
“…?!”
I froze when I heard it.
‘This isn’t the sound of the line about to cut out, is it…?!’
I didn’t know the principles of magitech engineering, but electrical noises coming from a phone probably wasn’t a normal situation. I had no idea when those fur beasts or pointy-ears would try to ruin this precious opportunity.
‘This is really dangerous. I have to get to the point, fast.’
The safety of countless students was riding on this single phone call. Pushing aside the cowardly part of me that was cowering inside, I forced a cheerful tone and spoke again.
‘Play it safe, play it safe…’
I picked a generic, safe greeting.
“Hi, Hilde☆ How have you been? I was so happy to hear you, I was speechless—☆”
“…You were so, happy to hear me. So happy… you were… speechless. Th-that’s… re… ally.”
Rumble—
“Good…”
The thunder rumbled again.
And Hilde’s voice seemed a little quieter.
“…to hear.”
Clatter—
Did she drop the phone?
Or was the signal just weak?
Along with an unsettling noise, it seemed like Hilde had gone silent.
“…”
“Hilde? Hilde—☆ W-wait a minute?! Don’t hang up—☆”
Ah.
Wait a second.
Did it really disconnect?
Did I just foolishly waste this chance?
Am I the one getting the axe this time?
“…”
“Hilde! Hilde? Hilde—☆ Please pick up the phone♪ Let me hear your voice—☆”
As I spoke, a single drop of cold sweat trickled down my back. An image of those damn fur beasts, flicking their vile tongues as they prepared to snip the communication line, flashed through my mind.
‘Just you wait, fur beasts and pointy-ears. Just you wait.’
I brought my other hand up, the one that had been tapping my cheek, and gripped the phone with both hands. With cold sweat beginning to form on my forehead, my frantic heart began to settle. My thoughts started to clear.
‘What good is that… when the line’s about to be cut any second!’
Just then.
To my relief, Hilde’s voice came through clearly again.
“…Hmph, Lara. My apologies, I dozed off for a moment.”
“Dozed off… What are you—☆”
No, that’s not what’s important right now…
I was about to say more to Hilde, but I decided to let the pointless criticism go. In the current state of the Academy City, who could be more desperate and exhausted than Hilde? It was understandable that she might nod off from fatigue.
‘I should be grateful she still shows me this unguarded side of herself.’
I had to be thankful that this beautiful and noble girl would show me such a familiar, down-to-earth side of herself. Yes, for now, let’s just overlook the unimportant things and be grateful.
‘Always be thankful to the heavens…’
With that thought, I told Hilde about the current situation in the northeast and our planned course of action. When Hilde heard the reason we came here, the news of the Eastern Alliance’s movements, and our plan to break through the center, she understood immediately.
“I see… with the train tickets Vel gave you…”
“Y-yeah…☆ We had a very comfortable trip, thanks to her♪”
“Lara, are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m all better—☆”
“Really…?”
Hilde’s voice was filled with doubt.
Somehow, that one word made me feel small.
I flinched at her tone and answered timidly.
“Y-yeah… To be precise, just my body for now…”
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“Nope, nope—☆”
“Good. As long as you’re not hurt again… that’s enough. For now.”
“Y-yeah…”
“If you get hurt again, I really… might just have to take you with me.”
“…”
“For now, just… stay alive.”
“…Okay.”
Feeling a pang in my chest from the warmth in her words, I hurriedly explained the current situation.
“S-so, now that we’ve joined up, we plan to act based on what you all are thinking—☆ By the way, Vel just went out to command the kids♪”
“I see.”
Hilde was silent for a moment before speaking. Her voice seemed to carry the bitter feeling of someone who had been defeated.
“…It seems gradually closing the distance, like Vel did, was what was important. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Huh? What do you mean—☆”
“…It’s nothing.”
“…?”
Hilde then briefly explained what was happening in the central district. It was quite similar to what Freyja had predicted.
“The student council of the Public Vana Boarding School, along with numerous students from the noble faction, have begun to occupy the area north of the Golden Avenue. Their target is likely the Aesir Girls’ High School, located to the west.”
As expected, the main force of the fur beasts was advancing from the Golden Avenue. But what she said next was something none of us could have anticipated.
“All of the hundreds of advancing noble faction members… bore a serpent tattoo and were freely utilizing the ‘Golden Arms’ up to the fourth stage. It’s an unusual application, but we’ve confirmed it.”
“…What did you say?”
[The Serpent of Wisdom and Cycle].
A serpent tattoo that forcibly injects knowledge in exchange for giving up one’s own [Destiny].
Realizing what that meant.
I couldn’t hide my shock.
‘Why is that coming up now…? That’s from an event boss storyline, completely unrelated to the main story…?’
The fur beasts had suddenly inherited the power of a boss from a side story. But Hilde’s shocking information didn’t stop there.
“According to eyewitnesses who went out for reconnaissance, the student council president, Frau, was also using magic on par with… no, superior to that of [The Violet Spindle].”
“I-is that really true—☆ I mean, you know, Hilde, that stray ca—Freyja is incredibly skilled…!”
“Lara.”
Her voice was gentle.
But it was a firm correction.
Hilde continued quietly.
“It has been definitively proven. Student Council President Frau, who until recently could barely use third-stage armament magic… has now become a mage equal to, or perhaps even greater than, [The Violet Spindle]. She also has the serpent tattoo.”
“…”
“They have currently halted their advance in the northern part of the Golden City and are waiting while drawing a massive magic circle.”
“…I see.”
As I heard the news, I felt my panic begin to subside.
‘As it is, the spiral only points to one place… the heart.’
When shock passes a certain threshold, you become calm.
It’s better to just accept things as they are.
Did the [Priest of Corrosion] die by moving according to plan?
‘If those Ratatoskr kids are up to something again, then we’ll just have to do something on our end.’
With my mind now calm, I continued talking with Hilde, exchanging information. I scribbled notes on the papers scattered across Vel’s office desk.
A conversation that lasted several minutes.
A rough outline of what we needed to do began to form.
“…”
“…”
Silence fell once more.
But this time, it was Hilde who broke it.
“Lara.”
“Yeah—☆”
“Are you… planning to come.”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t lie this time.
Even though I knew this would worry Hilde.
I spoke to her with all my heart.
“I’m going there—☆”
“…”
“Because there are people who can help me, and people I can help.”
“…”
Hearing that, Hilde murmured in a dejected tone.
“…I wish you would just stay put. Then I could protect you.”
Resentment.
Joy.
Gentleness.
Shyness.
The voice of a friend, filled with every emotion, was special.
‘Thank you for worrying about me. Always… thank you. Even though I haven’t been honest with you…’
I recalled the day I collapsed and woke up at Scarlet Academy. And I repeated the promise I had made to Hilde back then.
“If what you and I hold dear is the same right now—☆”
To protect the Academy City Yggd.
To protect the countless students and guide everyone toward a happy future.
“This time, I’ll come to you—☆ Just like you came for me♪”
“…!”
“So just you wait♪ A girl’s promise is a heavy thing☆ I’m bringing some fearsome friends with me—☆”
“…Hmph.”
Hearing that sound, I let out a small smile.
I knew exactly what emotion was contained in that sound.
‘When she’s happy but being stubborn about it.’
This would be the right time to pull a Clara move.
Lighten the mood, then move on to the next topic. That was our routine.
‘What kind of Clara behavior can I do right now…’
I suddenly remembered the joke I’d played on my juniors, talking about merit and demerit points. I smiled, thinking of their disgusted faces, both then and now.
Now, with the calm heart of your friend.
And with the old lingering feelings tucked away in a corner of my heart.
‘To you, who always forgives and helps me, I award 10 merit points…’
I brought my lips to the microphone of the phone.
Smooch—
I could hear a flustered reaction from the other end.
“Lara, what… was that.”
“…Fufu♪ That was a ‘smooch,’ a reward given to students at Central Prism Academy who receive all of Clara’s merit points—☆”
“…”
Hilde spoke in a voice that was somehow chilly.
“Has anyone… ever received that before.”
“Nope—☆ Getting 10 of Clara’s merit points isn’t easy, you know—☆”
“I see… Then I have a request.”
“Hm?”
“If you could just do it… one more time…”
“Ahaha—☆ You’re going to hold it to your cheek? Of course—♪”
I truly couldn’t suppress my laughter.
‘Hilde, you really are a true friend for playing along with my Clara behavior…’
For the first friend to ever indulge this prank, I quietly pressed my lips to the microphone once more. And with that, our call came to an end.
Of course, since it was the work phone Vel normally used, I didn’t forget to wipe it down thoroughly. Then, holding the paper I had written my notes on, I ran to Vel to give her the details.
So we could decide on our path forward, to break through the web of fire laid out by the fur beasts and pointy-ears.
***
Brynhildr pulled her lips away from the phone’s microphone.
“…”
A surge of fighting spirit, the world’s aether palpable around her.
Blue and white aether crackled and surged like lightning.
Today, she felt as if she could not possibly lose.
Clang—!
Brynhildr picked up her massive lance and strode out of the United Student Council office. She made her way to the main auditorium, where her subordinates were waiting.
“President!”
“We’re ready.”
Vice President Sieglinde, her black wolf ears perked, burned with fighting spirit.
Treasurer Erda calmly handled her bow, steadying her breath.
Thump—!!
Thousands of students from Aesir Girls’ High School stood in the auditorium. They stood in disciplined formation, their anger palpable toward those who dared to invade and challenge their supremacy over the Academy City Yggd.
News arrived that even now, more members of the disciplinary committee were on their way from Aesir Girls’ High School to join them.
“…”
Everyone was waiting for her.
And Brynhildr spoke the words they had been waiting to hear.
“We march.”