Praise for the Fallen and a New Recruit
As Melwood Elion collapsed, a ridiculous spectacle unfolded where everyone standing there flopped down without distinction between you or me.
I had no strength left to stand either, so I sat on the soft grass and gazed up at the sky. Staring at the blue expanse, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
How did the original story's first act ending go?
A romantic boss battle that began with the line, 'I surrender now.' A hellish difficulty that forced newbies to quit. In the end, those who broke through it shed hot tears, and Lumen Ribens left a strong impression on players as the Knight of Light.
It was an episode that brought waves of emotion both in-game and out. Even I had to applaud like a seal.
At the very least, it wasn't like this—me duking it out soul-to-soul with the boss, dagger in hand, trading blows in some desperate frenzy.
Absolutely not.
Hmm. Is this really okay? It felt profoundly different from the original I knew. Yet, in the grand scheme, it hadn't changed much, which left a strange sensation.
There were too many alterations to list them all one by one. But if things had changed, then the fact that some things hadn't was just as true.
"Haa... It's really over. We actually did it. Well, strictly speaking, it wasn't us—it was all Adrian..."
Reina von Wolfgang, lying beside me, stretched her arms upward as she spoke. I shook my head and replied,
"In the end, it was only possible because you were all here. Feel proud. And if not for your combo at the finish, even I couldn't have held out."
I flashed a light smile and called out each name one by one.
"Kalen, well done. Your Attribute Sword use was especially fluid. I want to praise your valor more, but we'll save that for the room."
"Ah! Y-Yes...!"
"Senior Lumen was impressive too. Without your Light Sword, we might not have made it this far."
"You're too kind. But remember, you must keep your 'promise.'"
She really couldn't trust my loyalty, could she? I nodded lightly at her words, then thought of the next one to address.
"..."
I skipped right over.
"Kelly."
"..."
"Your water elemental magic deployment left a deep impression. Especially when that dimwit Ebnis went down—no need to apologize for aiding her recovery."
Oh, intense killing intent from the side. As I spoke, Kelly, who had been glaring at me from her seat, opened her mouth.
"I don't trust you. No, knowing everything you've done so far, I can't trust you."
Yeah. That's right. That was the typical view of me at the academy.
"But... after this, I think it's worth watching you. Just please don't cause trouble for the young lady."
"I won't."
She clamped her mouth shut again, and Reina shook her shoulders, exclaiming, "Kelly! Why would you say something like that?!" Their liege-retainer bond looked solid; I nodded approvingly.
"Relbrian, good work."
"Haha, what? I just helped a friend. Still, I regret not having a stage to shine."
"Another chance like that will come soon."
"Mind if I join then too? With Reina, of course."
As she said it, Relbrian glanced sideways at Reina, who covered her eyes with both hands, blushing furiously.
"You're always welcome, Relbrian."
"Thanks. Well, I have business to attend to—I'll head out first. Fun experience. See you in basic swordsmanship."
"Sure."
Relbrian brushed the dirt from her clothes and headed toward the magic department.
"I'll take my leave as well, Lady Reina."
Kelly followed after her.
"Millije, how did it feel for you?"
"..."
"Millije?"
No response, so I looked over. Millije was staring blankly at the spot where the battle had just raged, lost in thought enough to miss my call. Best to leave her be in times like these.
Then I turned to the one I'd skipped earlier. At some point, she'd crossed her arms, half-turned away in a pose screaming 'What? I couldn't care less,' but her ears were perked straight toward me.
What an honest-to-a-fault tsundere.
"Ebnis."
"Hmph, took you long enough. Hurry up and thank me already."
"Thanks aren't happening. Fainting from stupidity? Utterly foolish. Didn't I save your ass mid-fight too?"
"I'll kill you. Holy Sword: Destruction... Ah."
She shot up, summoning a massive light battle-axe in her hand, then clutched her forehead and staggered.
Tsk. I pulled a vial of blue liquid from my pocket and tossed it to her.
"Idiot. Worry about your own mana before trying to kill someone. Mana recovery potion. Drink it and sit—rest."
"Urkgh..."
Ebnis ground her teeth at the potion, then downed it in one gulp.
"Tha...—"
"No thanks needed."
"Who said I was?!"
Last one... him. I looked at the black-haired guy sitting across the way, eyes sparkling eagerly.
"Erhan."
"Yes, Senior!"
"Did you understand my intent?"
"The last part? Oh, that... I just wanted to hit him. He did bad things, but he's still our senior, so straight-up slashing him felt wrong..."
I see. Even in the original first act ending cutscene, Erhan knocks Melwood out with a blow to the back of the head. So much had changed, yet this one part stayed the same.
It ended up like this, huh.
"Excellent. And good work—thanks for the help."
"No, no! It was something I had to do. And..."
Erhan hesitated a moment, then looked at me with vigorous resolve.
"Senior, your figure was incredibly impressive. I'll strive to become someone like you."
"Mm."
I could feel the sincerity in his voice. Well, newbies idolizing veterans was common enough.
"I'll head out now! I just remembered an appointment today! See you next time, Seniors!"
He bowed briskly and dashed off toward the knight department.
At least I'd left a good impression on Erhan. Not bad.
"What an unusual underclassman. So, Adrian, what do you plan to do with this?"
Kalen pointed at the prone Melwood.
"Senior Melwood will be referred to the student council disciplinary committee. Not just for attacking us, but with all the evidence we've gathered."
Lumen answered in my stead.
Indeed. Disciplinary referral. And in the original, after internal student council debate, Melwood gets expelled...
And exits this world.
Exits. As I said before, I'd never seen anyone who faded into the story's background return.
Losing a top talent like the fourth-year magic department's top student here would be a tremendous waste.
"Senior Lumen."
"Speak."
"If things proceed like this, Melwood Elion gets expelled?"
"Likely."
I glanced at him once more, then stood and picked up the grimoire. The tome, once steeped in deep darkness, had reverted to a mere worn-out book.
"As you know, senior, this grimoire contained a demon's lingering thought... essentially a dark spirit."
"...And?"
"The dark spirit eroded Melwood's mind and eventually seized his body. Even you, with your 'light' mana, must have sensed it faintly."
"Adrian, don't tell me..."
I snapped the grimoire shut and handed it to her.
"Even the magical beast incident was probably due to the dark spirit's capture. It wasn't his will. No room for leniency?"
"..."
"Senior, do you know what Melwood Elion hoped for after graduation? The Imperial Magic Corps."
"..."
She'd have some idea. The corps' chronic issues, the cutthroat turf wars.
To the silently bowing Lumen, I continued,
"In the end... Viscount Albert de Chars got the passing spot, and the top seat slipped away. That led to this, fraying his mind. The demon's thought preyed on that vulnerability and ultimately controlled him."
She fell silent.
"Does someone like that deserve to be expelled so pointlessly?"
"..."
"I don't think so."
With that, I picked up the fallen glasses from the ground. The lenses were shattered, but the frame held firm, unbent.
I approached Melwood Elion and stood before him.
"You're aware of everything while conscious, aren't you, Senior Melwood?"
"...Haha."
Melwood Elion scratched the back of his head as he sat up and looked up at me.
"I heard it all. You've offered a lifeline, so naturally... you have demands?"
"Of course."
I dusted off the glasses and held them out to him.
"Simple. Just join my side."
In the original, he was just a boss monster, but Melwood Elion being Salenium's top magic talent was undeniable fact. Pulling him to my side early would prove useful.
"...What?"
"Hold on! Adrian, that's—"
"Then Senior Lumen can vouch for him at the disciplinary committee."
I looked at Lumen, and she nodded.
"Summoning magical beasts to the dorm and attacking us was, precisely speaking, the dark spirit—not Melwood Elion. There's clear grounds for leniency, so while discipline might stick, expulsion could be avoided."
To him, staring dazedly at the broken glasses in his hand, I extended mine.
"The choice is yours."
"...See you later."
Melwood decided without hesitation, and Lumen took him to the student council.
Well, she'd handle it smoothly enough. As knight department rep, she had pull.
Nothing to do but trust her on that front.
And so, the first act boss and fourth-year magic top student, Melwood Elion, was now 'ours' moving forward.
It was gain enough already, but something even more surprising happened.
"You... didn't die?"
[Kuh, don't think I've died just like that, Repelheit! I'll definitely kill you!]
"Nero!"
[N-No, Sister! I absolutely won't kill him!]
A black, cat-shaped lump sat on Millije's shoulder. Like a slime morphed into feline form—a bizarre creature.
"...Millije, did you contract with the dark spirit?"
"Ah, Senior, it's less a contract and more like I unilaterally became its master. I can use Nero's power for free. It happened when I took that dagger."
Hm. The dagger that had been stabbed into the grimoire was indeed gone.
So, to recap: Millije went to retrieve the dagger I'd left in the grimoire because it felt intriguing. The demon's thought, cleverly unkillable, had possessed it—only to meet its natural predator.
Forced into a contract with Millije, no doubt. Higher spirit affinity gives the upper hand in contracts.
But could a human even handle a demon's lingering thought?
Seemed she could, and if she wanted to, no reason for me to stop her.
First time seeing a human wield a dark spirit.
"Anyway... congrats. Your first spirit."
"Yes! Nero, come here!"
[Y-Yes...]
The dark spirit, now a black cat with a half-crying expression, burrowed into Millije's arms.
"Ehehe..."
Millije giggled like a child, hugging the black cat tight.
...Well, bolstered forces were a win, anyway.
Yeah. If you're happy, that's what matters.
"I'll report to the family. See you tomorrow, Adrian. If things go well, we might all get summoned to the student council. Oh, Millije—mind helping with something briefly? Come with?"
"Ah, sure! See you later, Senior!"
Student council, huh. With the disciplinary stuff, this was blowing up.
Reina left those words and vanished somewhere with Millije.
"Ugh... Then I'll go train."
Kalen stretched and departed too.
So, the one left standing beside me on the way back to the dorm was...
"...Loosen up that expression. It doesn't suit a Repelheit."
"Ugh... You're not even a Repelheit anymore."
She let out a light sigh, then looked up at me.
"Something to say?"
"Adrian..."
She hesitated, then spoke.
"What the hell was that movement? You're in the magic department."
"Weren't asleep?"
"Senior Kelly prepped me beforehand—I wasn't affected by the powder. So..."
"You saw everything, huh."
Explains the downcast look. Not to my liking.
"And I don't get that demon thought either. Why, how—I'm clearly stronger than you, yet it treated me like a decoy... I couldn't follow a damn thing..."
"Ebnis."
"I... I really know nothing. Yeah, sure, I'm only 17. But..."
"Gorilla with 20 Strength."
"What? Why call me twice?"
"Follow me. Timing should be about right."
She sighed deeply and nodded.
...That look didn't sit well with me.
Tsk. Mentally fragile as hell.
"Adrian, you gonna tell me where we're going?"
"No questions. Just follow. I've got something to show you."