Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Rest? (6)
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After the meal, everyone stepped out of the restaurant with satisfied expressions.
It truly deserved all the rave reviews.
According to the original story, tastes were a bit divided, but it was impossible to imagine how unfortunate those who couldn't enjoy this would be.
"It's already dark."
The sun that had filled the sky was long gone from its perch.
When we'd first entered the restaurant, the sky had been a crimson glow of sunset, but now pitch-black darkness held sway.
The fortunate part was that the street lamps illuminated the roads.
In the original work, these magic-created lamps had a huge impact on the empire's public safety.
People instinctively feel at ease in bright places, and crimes usually occur in dim or enclosed spaces.
"Time to head back."
The time when we left the restaurant was 7 p.m.
Iliad Academy's curfew was 9 p.m.
Quite generous compared to other academies, but this was a special allowance only for the spring festival.
After the spring festival, the academy's system would change completely.
Even though I'd twisted the original plot, the core system itself wouldn't change.
The location of the incident had shifted, but Luberic Keias had still died in the end.
On top of that, the dean and other professors would surely be on high alert now.
'This is where it really begins.'
The spring festival was, metaphorically speaking, a rest stop.
It gave the characters a break until Luberic Keias was taken out by Han.
And it served as the foundation for expanding the world.
I tapped the ground with my staff. Truth be told, there was a lot to think about. For starters, Han still hadn't realized he was the hero.
Agnes had grown, but in the end, the hero was what mattered.
If he didn't grow, none of it meant anything.
"Deron, you having a hard time keeping up?"
"Nah, no problem."
I shook my head at Han's question. Mana was draining, but it was bearable.
As long as no more incidents cropped up ahead...
"H-Help...!"
Ah, I'd gone and jinxed it myself.
My eyebrow twitched as I checked the source of the voice.
A student in familiar academy uniform stood before us, panting heavily, his body covered in wounds.
I'd seen this student before. Definitely from Class B.
But since he was an extra who never even got properly mentioned in the original, I hadn't bothered memorizing him.
His name was...
"What happened?"
"Cedric and Lucas got dragged into a fight. But there are too many of them."
"What? Pat, how'd you get out?"
Right. Pat.
I snapped my fingers inwardly. Class A had 11 students, Class B 10.
The student heaving for breath in front of us was one of the extras the author had tossed in to fill out the academy.
No family name, so a commoner.
"They barely got me out. You know my specialty is speed."
"Yeah, that's right."
"Please help. We told them we're from the academy, but they won't believe us!"
Pat looked utterly indignant. But I could roughly grasp what had happened to them.
'They must have some backing.'
I didn't know the attackers exactly, but picking a fight with academy students?
That meant they had something to rely on, acting all cocky.
Plus, they were Class B commoners. No matter how genius or talented, outside the academy, they'd just look like regular plebs.
Of course, the academy provided student IDs.
To protect commoner students, those IDs granted noble-equivalent status, regardless of Class A or B.
Even factoring that in, they'd still picked a fight and started something.
I had no idea why.
What to do about this.
Their backing was probably solid. Me? No backing at all. I couldn't even use the Phillasia name anymore...
Wait, hold up.
I just won't fight.
What an idiot. Me.
The moment Erina opened her mouth to say something, I stepped forward, leaning on my staff.
Pat gulped and looked up at me.
"Lead the way."
I ground out the words.
"A commoner with a fat wallet, huh? Think you're hot stuff just 'cause you're an academy kid?"
"Boss, this one's got an artifact too."
"Jackpot! Grab everything."
The empire's streets were bright thanks to the lamps. That's why criminals instinctively slunk into the shadows.
Where there's light, there's shadow. Even on bright nights, dark corners always existed.
And this place was one of them.
"Ugh..."
A groan rose up. He looked down at his feet—the one who'd desperately shouted that he was an academy student.
Poor commoner.
"What a shame. We didn't really wanna mess with students like you."
"Oh yeah, boss."
"What."
Lucas, was it? Anyway, after confirming the commoner's consciousness had faded, the boss lifted his head.
Among his underlings, the sharpest one, Eaton, tilted his head.
"Even if they're commoners, they're academy students. We cool just beating them senseless like this?"
"Doesn't matter. It's all under orders."
"From who?"
"Who else? Count Keias."
"Damn, big name. But why's a count hiring the likes of us?"
The rumors of the Red Wolves prowling the back alleys were starting to spread a bit within the empire.
Wolves that kept their fangs clean—specializing in beatings and threats rather than murder.
Their leader, Kern, grinned wide enough to bare his teeth.
"Something about venting over his son's death."
"Eh, no need to dig deeper. We just pocket the pay and the spoils, right?"
"Exactly. Let's grab everything and bounce."
Kern kicked the fallen student's body into the corner and stood. These two had blocked desperately and let one slip away, but it didn't matter.
As the count had said, they were Class B students.
And those in Class B couldn't break through on their own power, so reinforcements wouldn't change a thing.
'Worst case, we take a few hits and play beaten.'
If they got too annoying. Kern thought that as he started to move his feet. Or tried to.
"This the place?"
"Yeah, they were fighting five or six guys here."
Fuck. Kern spat on the ground. He'd half-hoped, but they'd actually brought backup.
The escape speed had been unnatural, but he hadn't expected this fast.
He drew the sword from its sheath and shot a glance at his underlings.
A signal: Break through if we have to.
They nodded in understanding.
And the moment silhouettes appeared beyond the bright space...
"Now!"
Kern charged with the signal. Confidence surged—he'd reached the upper tiers of mid-level aura. He could punch through.
One aura-charged strike to break free, then escape with his crew.
But.
Clang!
An ice-cold-eyed beauty blocked his absolute best shot.
An incomprehensible chill poured wildly from the sword she gripped.
"You won't escape."
She declared it, then slammed her foot into the ground.
From that foot, an icy field spread outward.
'Magic swordsman?'
Her blade showed faint colors, putting her in the same realm as him.
'Never heard of a magic swordsman in Class B.'
Sensing something fishy, Kern hurriedly parried the white-haired student's sword. A dirty street trick honed over years.
"...!"
Her eyes widened. She seemed shocked at how easily her sword was deflected.
But Kern had no time to care.
He had to get out of here.
Her vibe was clearly leagues above Class B. A young talent who'd reached a realm matching his own.
'Definitely Class A.'
Kern judged.
"Haaap!"
With a shout, he stomped the ground hard.
Mana surged through his foot, shattering the ice like fragile glass. He bolted straight ahead.
"Boss!"
His underlings were all blocked by the black-haired and white-haired pair. The white-haired one was tough enough, but the black-haired looked even stronger.
'Damn it.'
Kern ground his teeth. By the looks of things, they were screwed.
Fine, then he'd survive. If he wasn't caught, Count Keias would handle the rest.
Straight alley—just one more breakthrough.
He sized up the two in an instant.
The red-haired girl gulping nervously but drawing her sword.
And the gray-haired man propping himself on a staff, staring him down.
Logically, charge the staff guy. Unarmed and looking frail.
But the instinct forged from years in the alleys rejected that choice outright.
'I'll die.'
If he got close to that man, he'd definitely die. No clue why, but he knew it.
"Raaagh!"
Kern trusted his gut. It was the survival method that kept a prowling Red Wolf alive.
Forcing out mana made blood trickle from his mouth.
Even so, he poured mana into his sword. A strike the girl before him absolutely couldn't block.
'Please dodge. Come on, dodge.'
Footsteps echoed from behind. Probably the two finishing off his crew.
Kern's only shot at survival was one-shotting the redhead in front of him.
And he was certain he could.
The girl was visibly trembling, after all. What could she do, scared shitless while holding a sword?
But the next instant.
Something rippled from the girl's sword.
'What?'
"Crimson Flame."
⟨ Red Flame ⟩
Crimson flames, deep and vivid, lit up the dark alleyway in brilliant light.