Rapi Bael
A talented mage on the cusp of promotion to second year at the Imperial Academy Solarion. Rapi hadn't achieved anything noteworthy yet, but she often dreamed of becoming a shining star someday. This time too, Rapi imagined herself as a second-year student. Her hellish first-year life was finally over. She believed that once she advanced, her talents would truly blossom. That is, until she was summoned by her supervising professor.
"Rapi Bael!!! When the hell are you going to get your act together!!!"
The moment she opened the door to the professor's office, a thunderous scolding crashed over her.
"Hieeek—! I'm sorry, Professor!!!"
She didn't know what it was about, but Rapi spat out an apology first.
"Enough with the sorrys!!!"
"Hiiik—!"
Rapi glanced slyly at her professor, who had slammed her hand on the desk, gauging the mood.
"...Um... P-Professor...? Hehe, could you maybe tell me what I've done to make you so mad...?"
The professor's furious eyebrows softened just a fraction as Rapi's voice trailed off into a whimper. Rapi felt wronged. As far as she could tell, she hadn't done anything that bad to warrant this. Before the scolding could hit, she'd already quickly scanned the office. The prized flowerpot she'd accidentally shattered last time had been returned to its spot intact. The professor hadn't noticed. The lab assignment she'd been nagged about was late, but she'd submitted it. Those two recent slip-ups weren't it—what could have set her off?
'No way...! Did she find out I used her staff without permission!?'
Rapi prayed it wasn't that. A staff was like a mage's other self, just as a sword was to a knight. She'd snuck into her professor's room to borrow the staff for help implementing the incantation formula required for her promotion exam. The staff's mana amplification effect was incredible—not just for formulas but boosting her power overall—so she'd passed easily.
'I was so careful not to get caught...!!'
Her heart pounding, Rapi tensed her legs, ready to bolt at any moment.
"Haa..."
The professor let out a small sigh. Rapi was certain now. She hadn't been caught! If it were the staff, the rage wouldn't end here. It could've led to expulsion. This must be something else. Rapi relaxed her legs.
'...Did I forget to clean up the crunchy cookie crumbs I ate in here secretly?'
It was minor, but eating alone in the professor's office without permission was still wrong. Rapi resolved to share crunchy cookies with her next time.
"Hoo... Rapi Bael. You've been strutting around lately, thinking you're hot stuff now that you're promoting to second year."
"S-Strutting...? Not that much, Professor... hehe..."
Rapi scratched the back of her head sheepishly, relieved at the softening mood.
Thud...!
Suddenly, the professor pounded the desk and shot to her feet.
"Taking 'seminar fees' from exam candidates for 'academy admission tips' isn't strutting—what is it, then?! You're not even a graduate yet!"
Rapi bowed deeply at the waist.
"Hieeek—! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Professor...! But I had no choice with tuition..."
Seeing Rapi on the verge of tears, the professor sank back into her chair with a sigh.
"Haa... Tuition... tuition... Fine, I know your circumstances, Rapi Bael, so we'll let that slide. It wasn't a huge amount anyway."
Rapi sighed in relief at the professor shaking her head with closed eyes.
"Waaah—! As expected of you, Professor... hehe."
It was a minor issue, but still her professor. Rapi sidled up, acting cute.
"Professor Ariel is the best! The best!!! Solarion's grand archmage!"
"Hmph. Keep the praise coming."
"Number one in Solarion professor looks ranking! Number one in magic ranking! Number one in lecture evaluations—the shining, great, great Professor Ariel is the best!!"
No objective metrics, but in Rapi's mind, Ariel was Solarion's top professor. After all, she was the only one who looked after Rapi!
"Top candidate for chief mage tower lord of the Floating Islands Archipelago!!"
"Ah, skip that one."
"Yep."
With the mood settled, Professor Ariel got to the point.
"Anyway, Rapi Bael. I called you because there's a problem with your second-year promotion."
"Whaaat!!!? Professor, I passed the exam!!! What... what went wrong!?"
It was a bolt from the blue for Rapi, who had envisioned her second-year future. Her body slumped weakly. Clutching the professor's arm, she looked up with teary eyes.
Ariel met Rapi's gaze with pity.
"It's because of the assignment you submitted. Someone lodged a formal objection claiming the incantation formula you used had definite errors."
"Whaaaaat!!!? Errors in the formula!? I only learned magic from my family and you, Professor... No way... no way...!! You!?"
Ariel's eyes went dead at Rapi's outburst. With a cold stare, she pried off Rapi's clinging hand.
"Why would I...? Haa... Anyway, the academy couldn't disclose the whistleblower, but it triggered a faculty meeting."
"!!!!"
"We reviewed your assignment with the other professors."
Gulp—!
"And the result...!?"
Rapi's eyes shook like an earthquake from tension.
"Rapi's assignment score has been withheld."
"Nooooo!!!"
Rapi collapsed in despair at the shocking declaration.
"...I did protest that the punishment was too harsh. But I couldn't refute what the other professors pointed out."
"What did they say?! Professor, nooo!! I don't wanna repeat a year!! My dream second-year life!!!"
Tears streaking her face, Rapi shook Ariel's arm. The professor deftly handled it while pulling a document from her desk with her other hand.
"Here's the verification result. 'Rapi Bael's submitted incantation formula requires assistant professor-level mana manipulation and structural stability. Additionally, professor-level mana is needed to activate it.'"
Ariel kindly showed the certificate to Rapi as if on display.
"Gasp...!"
The professor's staff was too powerful—that was the problem! Rapi felt so wronged.
"No! No, that's not it, Professor!!! I... I was hiding my true power!!! Y-Yeah...!"
With her promotion in jeopardy, Rapi blurted it out first and thought later.
"I did suggest that myself. But... even as your mentor, I can't say if you're telling the truth, Rapi. Were you hiding your skills from me too?"
Ariel narrowed her eyes suspiciously, yet with a trusting glint. Rapi swallowed hard.
Gulp—
She couldn't answer. Ariel was the only one at the academy who truly believed in her. Rapi couldn't even lie to her. She quietly looked down.
The office filled with suffocating silence.
"...Hoo. Still, the faculty meeting made an adjustment. Prove one thing, and your withheld score might pass."
Rapi hugged Ariel's legs in overwhelming gratitude.
"Gasp!!! What do I have to do!!? Should I lick your feet, Professor!?"
"That's... ahem... not a bad idea."
Ariel cleared her throat awkwardly and pushed Rapi's head away.
"Ahem... Anyway, to prove the incantation, complete a subjugation request from the adventurer's guild."
"Professor is the best! The best!! I can do it!! Because I'm Professor Ariel's student!!!"
"Hic—! Hic—! That's how it happened... hic—! My benefactor..."
"I get it, so stop crying. And don't call me benefactor—call me Evan."
I'd teased her a bit when she woke up bawling her eyes out. That must've triggered it—she spilled her whole sob story without me even asking.
"Sniff—! Yes, Evan sir!"
Her story was pretty interesting. I'd been skeptical since her outfit looked like a school uniform, but she really was an academy student. Solarion Academy, built by the empire after the Floating Islands Archipelago fell. Hard to imagine the arrogant spellcasters, who shunned the outside world and ignored its dangers, had changed like this.
Above all, I liked Rapi's lively personality. In a world ended by dark fantasy, emotions like laughter and tears were luxuries. Humans who surrendered to the Abyss would've been treated as mere resources, not people.
I looked at Rapi before me. The little mage, tears streaming as she munched bread, smiling at the taste. Seeing that innocent childlike joy, it seemed my struggles to avert destruction weren't in vain.
"Not bad."
"Mmph—!?"
I gestured for her to keep eating instead of replying.
"Gulp—! So good!! Thank you, Evan sir."
"Glad it suits your taste."
She'd been rumbling about hunger, so I'd pulled a consumable from my inventory. Thankfully, the Drift restrictions only limited unique-grade items—consumables worked fine. The space was smaller, but usable was usable.
"Rapi, do you know where we are?"
"Yes! Evan sir, this is the Shadow Forest near Rimhold!"
She beamed as she told me.
"Rimhold...? You mean the border city I know?"
"Yep. Is there a problem...?"
"Nah. Just feels like I got dumped in a backwater."
Border city Rimhold. From memory, it was built to monitor the elves of the Great Forest. But the elves ignored humans, no trade or anything. The empire knew it, and with bigger threats, Rimhold was a token outpost—a rural village, really. Guess 50 years brought some progress.
"Backwater...?"
Rapi tilted her head curiously.
"Hmm... Anyway, I know the place now. Rapi, one more thing—do you know about the people who stopped the Abyss 50 years ago?"
Wonder what this generation calls us. Hero, maybe? In the history books?
"Hehe... I slept through history class... Sorry, Evan sir."
Forgotten, or just Rapi being clueless? No way to tell.
"Then what about Saintess Clara?"
I asked about the church's most famous figure.
Rapi closed her eyes, thinking hard, then grinned innocently.
"Hehe, I'm not great with church stuff either..."
"...Hate to say it, but you're pretty useless, Rapi."
"Sorryyy..."
She gave an awkward smile.
"Ah!! But Saintess... something? I think I've heard professors mention her..."
"...Enough. Let's get up."
I could gather useful info in town.
"The orc we just killed finishes your request, right?"
"Ah—yes! The adventurer's guild said just bring back one starving orc!"
"Then can you guide me to Rimhold? I don't know the area well."
I used to, but 50 years later? No clue.
"Hehe!! Just follow me, Evan sir! Super Guide Rapi at your service!"
She puffed up, hands on hips.
"Uwagh—! Evan siiir!?"
Annoyed for some reason, I ruffled her hair.
"One orc down means your promotion proof is done, right Rapi?"
"Nooo—! Evan sir, stop!! My hair's ruined!!"
"Why come to Rimhold anyway? Enough monsters for subjugation requests?"
Did monsters move in right after the elves vanished and the Great Forest burned?
"Whew—! Finally free! Ahem... It's a rumor, but that 'Dark Lord' settled near Rimhold! Monsters increased because of it, so requests piled up—that's why I came."
"...What? Say that again, Rapi."
Her words included something she shouldn't have said.
"Hieeek—!! Th-That requests increased...?"
"No, before that."
"The Dark Lord settled near Rimhold—! Ugh—! Evan sir... my shoulder hurts..."
"...Sorry."
I'd gripped her shoulder hard on instinct. I let go quickly and stepped back.
"Evan sir... did I do something wrong...!?"
"No, it's not you, Rapi."
To avert that dogshit dark fantasy ending alone, I'd gathered companions. Ones fated to be bosses. And one of them—a high elf named Hayes. 'Dark Lord' was what they called Hayes, the death-spreading boss in that ending.