Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Full Moon Festival - (3)
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Sophia sprinted toward the central library. Her leg strength was astonishing, and she quickly vanished from my sight.
She'd muttered something at the end about an oracle or whatever nonsense. I decided not to worry about it.
Dwelling on it would just tire me out.
"...Alright. At least I've stopped her from going off-script."
I pushed myself to my feet.
In the center of the stage, the Shade was still flailing around, unable to shake off the aftereffects of the flashbang.
But this was only a momentary reprieve. In about a minute, it'd recover from its status ailment and chase after Sophia.
"Can't have that."
I still needed a little more time to get the demon sword.
So I had to keep the Shade pinned down here for as long as possible.
I had zero combat ability. When I became a priest, I'd vaguely hoped I might use some holy magic or something...
- 'Leo, you have no talent for it. None at all. It's pathetic. Brutal. The kind of hopeless case you see once in a thousand.'
The orphanage director priest was a master at crushing budding dreams, inflicting wounds, and rubbing salt in them.
I'd long since given up on learning holy magic.
Of course, that didn't mean I was helpless.
"This is the original game's stage, after all."
After going round and round, the Shade was right in the middle of the festival stage.
Act 1 of Throne of the Academy was essentially a tutorial scenario.
The Full Moon Festival stage was packed with environmental elements that beginner players could use.
Besides the fireworks box I'd just set off, there were plenty more.
Having cleared Act 1 dozens of times in hardcore mode, I remembered every trick in the book.
The lighting control device on the left side of the stage.
The sound amplification magic circle on the right.
The massive magical spotlight hanging at the top.
The Shade was a gimmick boss, after all.
The standard strategy was for one party member to use the environmental elements in sequence to stun it, while the Sword Saint burst it down.
Of course, solo like me, all I could do was buy time.
With my plan set, I dashed out onto the stage. Just before the Shade spotted me, I squeezed between the overturned tables and rolled into the stagehand tent.
Sure enough, the lighting control device was inside the tent.
It seemed to have some safety mechanism, but without the stagehand, it was useless.
I grabbed the lever and shoved it up with all my might, nearly breaking it.
"Let there be light."
And there was light.
Bzzzzt!
It sounded like frying chicken, and every light on the stage blazed with eye-searing brightness.
The Shade, just recovering from the fireworks, took the flash head-on and let out a scream like it was being torn apart.
It wouldn't actually damage the main body—just stun it with the light.
But for now, that was enough.
"Let's play a little longer."
Just five minutes. That's all I needed.
*
Sophia ran and ran.
Her lungs felt like they were tearing apart, blood pouring endlessly from her wounds. Her right arm burned like fire.
Every time her vision blurred, she recalled the priest's voice.
- 'This is something only you can do, Sister.'
Those words summoned strength from nowhere.
Rumble.
The area was a wasteland. Besides Isabella at the festival grounds, shadow monsters had popped up everywhere, throwing the academy into chaos.
Sophia broke through them all and finally reached the central library.
She slipped down the external stairs leading underground. The basement felt long abandoned.
Pushing through walls overgrown with vines revealed a dusty old steel door, blocked by a massive padlock.
- 'It's locked, but you can break through and get down there.'
Her master had said she could do it.
So she could.
She had to.
Sophia grabbed a broken statue nearby with her mangled right arm. Agonizing pain surged, but she gritted her teeth and smashed the padlock.
Bam!
Three strikes, and it shattered.
It was called a treasure vault, but most shelves were empty.
Yet in the deepest, pitch-black chamber, untouched by light, there was a single sword.
Planted on a pedestal, it was too bizarre to call a sword.
No guard, and the hilt was over a handspan long. The ebony scabbard covering the blade bore no engravings. The edge peeking from the sheath gleamed an inky black—eerie enough to chill the soul just looking at it.
Sophia instinctively knew this was the special sword the priest had mentioned.
*Gulp.*
She swallowed and cautiously gripped the hilt.
The moment she did, an icy sensation flooded her. A chill raced up her spine, stopping her breath. Overwhelming weakness hit; her legs gave out, and she collapsed.
"Not... now."
Sophia wiped the handkerchief tied to her right arm and forced herself up with everything she had.
The moment she staggered out of the basement, shadow monsters swarmed her.
"Get away."
She swung the sword.
It was a feeble swing, but the monsters it touched vanished instantly.
As expected of her master's prepared sword.
With this, she could deal real damage even to that monster.
Just as Sophia hurried back to the grounds—
—Boom.
A massive shape crashed from the sky. She narrowed her eyes.
"...Isabella."
Isabella had somehow tracked her right up to her front. Long tentacles emerged from the dark mist shrouding her body.
Sophia had no idea why Isabella looked like that.
Truth be told, she didn't care.
Her master had said not to waste strength on petty fights. To Sophia, at least, Isabella was insignificant.
"...You attacked first."
So, cutting her down with the sword her master prepared wouldn't bring any guilt.
- Grrr!
Sophia barely dodged Isabella's attack and swung her sword.
Isabella screamed horrifically and staggered back as the blade connected.
It worked. Just as Sophia's face lit up—
Crack!
Another tentacle shot in. She hadn't expected two. A clear mistake.
"Kuh..."
She hastily blocked with her sword, but things looked bad. The wound on her sword arm tore open, pain flooding in.
Blood gushed; tendons snapped, and her right arm went limp.
Sophia grimaced and switched the sword to her left hand. But as a novice swordsman, she'd never trained or practiced left-handed. Could she win like this?
"I have to win..."
It was the oracle the priest spoke of.
She had to fulfill it, no matter what.
Sophia watched Isabella's movements.
Two tentacles lashed out with a time delay.
'I can deflect one. But the other...'
She couldn't block it.
But there was a way.
Offer her right arm as bait and drive the sword into Isabella's heart.
Living as a one-armed woman was better than the humiliations she'd endured as the traitor's daughter.
As Sophia steeled herself for the strike—
Shatter!
A clear bursting sound rang out.
Isabella's tentacle failed to sever Sophia's right arm.
A golden barrier had appeared before her eyes.
"...Huh?"
A warm energy flowed in. Sophia turned her head.
A woman stood a few paces away.
Ornate holy robes. Curvaceous figure. Snow-white hair. Golden eyes.
Sophia knew little of the academy's notables, but she'd heard of this white-haired beauty.
"Saintess Candidate..."
Saintess Candidate Elise Aurora de Lua. She'd saved her.
Hope bloomed on Sophia's face. With the Saintess Candidate, defeating Isabella wasn't impossible.
Had the priest sent her?
But the thought didn't last.
"..."
Sophia noticed the Saintess Candidate's expression was odd.
Elise seemed more interested in Sophia herself than in Isabella pounding at the barrier to kill her.
"...Uh, um?"
Sophia followed Elise's gaze.
Those golden eyes were fixed precisely on the handkerchief tied to Sophia's right arm—stained black with sand and blood.
"That there, um...?"
No answer came.
*
Everything had gone wrong.
According to plan, Elise should have gracefully strolled the VIP seats, found that priest, and used her Saintess Candidate privileges to whisk him away for a private festival stroll under the Full Moon Festival lights.
They had much to discuss. She wanted confession, too.
Smuggling wine via her maids despite being a Saintess Candidate.
Sleeping in instead of morning prayers every day.
Not fulfilling a single one of the archbishop's penance duties.
He would affirm all her transgressions with that warm voice.
"Saintess Candidate, it's dangerous!"
But the plan was in ruins.
Monsters had suddenly appeared, ruining the festival.
Elise sighed deeply at the empty VIP seats.
"It's fine. I'll head back to the cathedral alone."
"Y-yes! We'll assign an escort..."
"No need."
"B-but the archbishop ordered..."
"So?"
Elise smiled brightly.
The holy knight shut his mouth. Who in the grand cathedral would defy Elise?
Now free, Elise focused and drew out a thread of holy power. The trace resonating with her holy robes stretched from the festival stage toward the central library.
'Why flee to the library? Leaving the safe cathedral behind?'
Elise felt a strange doubt as she followed it.
And only after saving a girl under attack by a massive monster did Elise realize her grave mistake.
Someone else had her holy robes.
"..."
A crimson-haired Knight Department student stood unsteadily, gripping a sword radiating ominous energy.
Elise instinctively knew this was the person the bird had described.
The name on her badge: Sophia Aquilova.
The very one stirring up the Knight Department lately.
"That there, um...?"
Elise eyed the handkerchief tied to Sophia's arm.
Holy robes, embroidered stitch by stitch with holy power.
Not something meant for a girl like this.
'...Why.'
Had the priest given his gift to this woman?
From the circumstances, to staunch a wound. But still...
'The priest is too kind for his own good...'
Even so, it wasn't for some grubby girl like this.
A twinge of betrayal, disappointment—it was real.
But the situation was urgent.
That monster was probably behind the festival chaos.
Elise could only cast defensive and healing spells.
Maintaining the barrier was limited to about 30 seconds more.
For now, they had to cooperate.
"...You're hurt."
Elise schooled her expression and approached Sophia, placing a hand on the wound.
Whoosh.
Holy power spread, healing the wound in an instant. As Elise reached to untie the bloodied handkerchief—
Grab.
Sophia seized Elise's wrist with startling strength.
"...That's something my master gave me. Give it back."
Elise's eyes narrowed.
"...No. It's mine."
"What?"
"I gave these holy robes to the master you're talking about."
Elise smiled innocently, and Sophia's face hardened.
Their gazes locked.
The hesitation from moments ago was gone; Sophia's expression was ice-cold.
'As expected...'
A wolf stood before her.