The Great Mana Energy Flood (6)
The girl radiated a rare, unmistakable spirit from the moment she stepped through the door. Those fierce eyes paired with a plain white sword—there was no mistaking her identity.
“So you’re Gawain’s daughter…”
“Ah, did you know my father?”
“I’m the one who forged his sword.”
“You mean Day of Judgment?!”
“No, not that one. The sword he used as a young man—the one that broke.”
“……”
Trie’s mouth snapped shut. The old woman might not have been a legendary swordsmith, but the fact that she had forged a blade for Trie’s father proved she was no ordinary artisan.
“This is urgent. Please sharpen the edge for me.”
“Isn’t this a training sword?”
“Yes. We’re short on weapons, so…”
“Hmm.”
The blacksmith accepted the blade and examined it. Thick and heavy enough that even after sharpening, the balance could be maintained.
“Very well. It can be done. But it will take some time.”
“If a battle breaks out, I would be grateful if you could deliver it yourself. I’ll tell you the name—”
“You won’t be the one using it?”
“No. It’s for a student named Schluss Heinkel—”
“Rejected.”
“Pardon?”
The old woman spun on her heel. For Gawain’s daughter she would have gladly forged an entirely new blade, but a sword for a mere mage? Mages treated swords like fashion accessories. Every blade the blacksmith forged and tempered carried a soul. She would rather die than see those weapons left to gather dust as mere ornaments.
“I don’t forge or temper swords for mages.”
“Schluss may be a mage, but when it comes to the sword his talent is second to none!”
“What did you say?”
The old woman’s eyes narrowed. Everyone knew that Gawain’s daughter had surpassed the level of a high-ranking knight by the age of ten. Had she not set down the sword, she would likely have claimed the title of Imperial First Sword by now. To claim that some boy possessed talent comparable to hers… It was absurd.
“Please believe me. Whether he takes up a sword or not may decide the outcome of this battle.”
“Hah. That good, is he?”
“Yes. I’m begging you.”
“……”
Since the words came from Gawain’s daughter, the blacksmith could not dismiss them. After Trie left, the old woman clicked her tongue but nevertheless set to work at once.
Before she could even finish, the sky darkened and the battle began in earnest. Sweat pouring down her face, she completed the sharpening and balanced the blade on her fingertip. It lay perfectly parallel, as still as the surface of a tranquil lake.
“Perfect.”
The weight was ideal, the cutting edge flawless. The training sword had transformed into a weapon fit for real combat. Hearing that the situation was urgent, the blacksmith wrapped the blade in cloth and broke into a run.
“Good grief, what a sorry bunch…”
Upon reaching the ramparts, the old blacksmith was struck speechless. Countless monsters were swarming up the walls while the students, paralyzed by fear, fled in every direction. These were the empire’s finest young talents? She prayed Schluss Heinkel was not among the cowards running away.
As she scanned the chaos, her eyes landed on a lone boy. He was not casting spells, yet he stood his ground alone. For some reason, the blacksmith felt certain that this seemingly dim-witted youth was Schluss Heinkel.
“Are you Schluss Heinkel?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then take this.”
“This is…”
She handed over the sword and stepped back. Just as she expected. The moment his fingers closed around the hilt, the boy’s entire bearing changed. He sensed bloodlust from behind, spun, and assumed a stance.
It was a Fenrir—a wolf-like monster with thick hide and massive jaws that even high-ranking knights dared not underestimate. Would a mage try to combine swordplay with spells? Growing intrigued, the blacksmith folded her arms and watched.
“Huh…?”
The boy and the Fenrir charged at each other simultaneously. His movements were not particularly fast, nor did he weave in any magic. It seemed he had not even activated his internal circuit, the most basic technique for a swordsman. Yet his blade flowed like water, effortlessly parrying the monster’s claws before slipping into its guard. The decisive blow was a single clean cut.
“GRAAAAAAGH!!!”
The boy rolled across the ground past the Fenrir. Blood gushed from beneath the monster’s jaw. In that instant he had pierced the hide and severed the carotid artery. The Fenrir thrashed wildly, spraying blood in all directions, then charged again—only to collapse with a heavy thud, eyes rolled back, just before it reached him.
Without sparing the corpse a single glance, the boy was already rushing toward the next group of monsters.
“He really is something else…!”
The blacksmith had assumed Trie’s praise was no exaggeration, but this exceeded all expectations. Chuckling heartily, she turned her gaze toward another section of the fierce battle.
BOOM!THUD…!
That must be one of the Imperial Academy’s professors… and beside him, Gawain’s daughter. The two of them were fighting on an entirely different level—one or two tiers above everyone else. The mountain of monster corpses surrounding them was proof enough.
“Right. Never mind. The truly extraordinary ones are over there.”
The old blacksmith scratched her head sheepishly and turned away.
This is a fine piece.
Even someone like me, who knew next to nothing about swords, could tell it was an exceptional blade. It had simply been a sharpened training sword, yet it was light, springy, and razor-sharp—perfect for swinging. With this weapon in hand, I could hold the wall alone against the monsters climbing it.
Waffe is still completely silent…
Honestly, I had expected it to burst out dramatically if I ever found myself in real danger. After all, that was why it had fused with my body. But there was still no response from Waffe. Instead, I now had this excellent sword.
I’m sulking, you idiot. Just stay gone forever. This cool longsword has taken your place.
A flash of light shot from behind me, piercing straight through the head of an orc scaling the wall.
That was close… I nearly got hit.
When I looked back, students on the third defensive line—the fortress—were firing spells one after another. Strangely, they seemed to fight much better from the rear than they had at the front.
“Figures they’re mages.”
It seemed that in the heat of a life-or-death battle they froze in terror, but once safety was guaranteed they could finally display their true abilities. Sergei’s decision to pull the students back just before the second line collapsed now made perfect sense. He had understood the very nature of mages when he made that call.
“We can hold this.”
The rampart had grown relatively calm. Looking down, I could see monsters still pouring from the forest, but their numbers were less than a third of the initial wave. At this rate we could hold. Reinforcements would arrive tomorrow; all we had to do was endure today.
Ainz still hasn’t returned.
The battle was winding down, yet Ainz and Team 1 had not come back. It made me uneasy. Had he thrown another reckless tantrum about going alone, caused the team to collapse, and gotten them all eaten? Perhaps expecting him to awaken had been too much to ask. Still, considering how he had behaved during this training exercise, it hadn’t seemed entirely impossible…
“Wait, aren’t those the students from Team 1?!”
Sergei’s booming voice rang out. In the distance, at the edge of the forest, students were sprinting toward us. The assistant instructor appeared unconscious, carried on someone’s back. But Ainz was nowhere to be seen… Maybe he was lagging behind?
“Prepare to open the main gate! Trie, I need covering fire!”
“Eh? Yes?”
“No one on the wall can reach that far except you! Please!”
“Ah…”
Sergei gave Trie a hearty slap on the back. I would have staggered forward from a hit like that, yet Trie stood firm. Truly the daughter of a general.
“Hngh…”
Even someone as formidable as her struggled with magic. As she extended her arm and deployed the spell formula, the cold sweat on her brow showed just how nervous she was. I quickly approached and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Trie.”
“Eep?!”
“Don’t be startled.”
“Professor?”
“Focus. If the monsters surround Team 1, we’re finished.”
“Y-yes…”
If the monsters cut off Team 1’s path, it would be disastrous. Preventing that was Trie’s role right now. Since I needed to conserve my own strength, she was the only one who could do it. Sergei had already exhausted his mana.
“Don’t be too tense. Take them down one by one.”
“B-but Professor…”
“Speak.”
“My accuracy is absolutely terrible… I might hit my friends instead of the monsters.”
“……”
Trie looked at me with a terrified expression. Since it came from honest Trie, it was no lie meant to get out of the task. Damn it. Then there was only one option left.
“Trie. Just fill the spell with mana.”
“Huh? I already injected it. Why?”
“I’ll fire it.”
“Wait, what?!”
I immediately connected to the core of the spell formula and seized control. Trie’s formulas had terrible security… She really needed to put more effort into encryption. Repeating the cycle of her deploying and me taking over every time would waste too much time, so I edited the formula on the spot. From single shot to scatter.
This way, one blast would be enough.
“Whoa? Won’t it spray everywhere? That only increases the chance of hitting our friends, Professor!”
“Just watch quietly.”
Bang!
The spell fired. Red light bloomed in the darkness, splitting into twenty separate rays that streaked forward. I manipulated each of the twenty beams individually, curving their trajectories. The crimson rays drew graceful arcs as they rained down on the monsters below the wall.
“GYAAAAAGH!”
“GRAAAH!”
The beams struck twenty monsters at once, and agonized screams tore through the air. As the creatures fell, the path to the main gate opened. Team 1 reached it in that brief window. The gate cracked open just enough for them to slip through before slamming shut again. Success.
I patted the stunned Trie on the shoulder and ran to meet Team 1. Trie and Sergei still had to remain on the wall and keep fighting.
“The assistant instructor is critically wounded! Doesn’t anyone have a healing potion? Anyone?!”
“……”
The students were clutching the fallen assistant instructor, sobbing. Blood flowed from his side and his face was deathly pale. He did not look long for this world.
“I’m sorry, but we’ve run out of healing potions. We’ll have to take him to a medic.”
“If he doesn’t get a potion, the assistant instructor will die!”
I clenched my eyes shut for a moment and considered. I could spend two shop coins right now and instantly obtain a healing potion. Even a low-grade one would quickly mend wounds that were not too severe. It might take time for full recovery, but it would definitely save his life.
Hmm…
But I was currently saving coins. Fifty of them, to buy an elixir. If the moment came when I needed that elixir and I was short by exactly two coins, it would be the most infuriating thing imaginable. I had to weigh the priorities. Was saving Sergei’s assistant truly necessary?
This pretty… no, this handsome man. The fact that I could not even recall his name, let alone any memories of him, meant he was barely mentioned in the original story and had little importance. Yet that did not necessarily reflect his actual ability. Although the original had not described him in detail, he had rescued the cornered Ainz and Team 1, led them to advantageous terrain, and commanded the fight. He was clearly quite capable. There was sufficient reason to save him.
Low-Grade Recovery Potion acquired.
A small glass vial appeared in my hand, hidden behind my back. Only then did I walk quickly toward Team 1.
“Here. A low-grade recovery potion. Use it.”
“You still had one…?”
“……”
The red-haired girl looked up at me with her mouth agape. After a brief moment of shock, she hurriedly poured the potion over the assistant instructor’s side. The wound closed cleanly, revealing impressive abs. If he could rest now, he would wake up soon. I knew from experience, having recovered from a similar state myself.
“Where is Ainz?”
“Ainz is…”
I crouched down and asked about his whereabouts. The students avoided my gaze or lowered their heads, hesitating to answer. The red-haired girl kept moving her lips, so I stepped closer and pressed her.
“Quickly!”
“Ainz stayed behind alone… He said he would buy us time to escape.”
“Hah.”
Ainz had done something that insane? And the assistant instructor just let him—ah. Right, he had lost consciousness.
“Damn it…”
Ainz had completely defied my expectations. From a selfish, self-centered personality that only ever thought about himself, he had become a hero willing to sacrifice for his friends… He had overcome the limits of the original story and achieved his awakening. But if he did not return alive, it would all be meaningless. The fact that he still had not come back suggested he had been surrounded by monsters again on the way. He was surely dead. His awakening must not have been sufficient. An awakening of only that level held no value. He was not even worth recruiting as a comrade.
In that case, it was better to treat this as the death of one extra and leave him. After all, Ainz had never been a particularly important character in the original story.
“Damn…”
“Schluss?”
When I came to my senses, I realized I was already walking toward the main gate. Ainz. That idiot who acted like a fool relying solely on his family name and connections. A lucky bastard blessed with several talents that did not suit his personality. Yet he was also a good-natured boy who could acknowledge what deserved acknowledgment.
“Main gate. Open it, please.”
How could I, as the author who was practically his father, abandon him now that he had broken free of the original story’s shackles? I wanted to at least talk with him and see how he had changed. That would finally let me feel at ease. Gripping the sword tightly in my right hand, I stepped through the slowly opening gate and into the darkness beyond.