High Ambitions and the Saint's Fountain
As the morning light broke, Hint opened his eyes. The clock read exactly eight thirty. It was the hour when a new day began in Tales of Sword & Magic.
‘Even though I keep telling myself this is reality, every little detail still screams that this is a game.’
Hint washed up lightly and changed his clothes. They were supposed to meet outside at nine, so it was time to head out. The moment he opened the door, the first thing he saw was Stelle swinging her sword through the empty air.
“Haa!”
Watching her practice with such lively energy from the crack of dawn, it seemed there had been no major problems last night.
“Good morning, Stelle.”
“Ah, Hint! You’re up.”
“You’re quite diligent this early.”
“I don’t want to get expelled, so I have to work hard.”
At Stelle’s refreshing smile, Hint smiled back. While it was pleasant to hear her use polite speech, the casual tone he remembered from the game suited her far more. Perhaps thanks to the comfortable bed, Stelle showed no signs of fatigue. Of course, the same could not be said for him; he had barely slept after staying up late planning.
“So, Hint. What are we doing today?”
“Let’s see. Today… Hmm, Stelle.”
Hint spoke.
“Do you like treasure hunts?”
Hint brought Stelle along and used the cabin’s ability to travel straight to the classroom.
“No matter how many times I see it, that ability is still amazing.”
“It’s a secret to everyone else, all right?”
“Of course. Just trust me.”
Stelle puffed out her chest and thumped it with her fist. He felt it again: because she spoke casually, she came across as far more cheerful. She seemed like an entirely different person from yesterday. The Stelle he knew had always been close to this personality, so it was safe to say they had grown closer.
“Anyway, what did you mean by treasure hunt?”
“It is a treasure hunt, but first let’s set our goal.”
He pushed the now-useless whiteboard outside and, on the brand-new blackboard installed in the classroom thanks to the second-place prize, white chalk raced across its surface.
“First, we set a goal.”
“Obviously avoiding expulsion, right?”
“No. Avoiding expulsion is only the process. We must establish a slightly higher and more concrete objective.”
Once again the white chalk flew across the blackboard. Beside the word Goal, a new word appeared: Promotion.
“Of course our ultimate goal is graduation, but before that we need to escape from F-class.”
“Teacher, question! How does promotion even work?!”
“Excellent question, student Stelle. I shall explain it now.”
In the academy, promotion was determined by a single type of action.
Proof.
One had to constantly appeal to the academy that they were talent suited for a higher class. Only then could promotion to the upper ranks become possible. Methods of proof included the regular midterm and final exams held each semester, separate pop-quiz evaluations, and clearing quests issued by the academy.
“Let us aim for S-class.”
“Ehh… No matter how you look at it, S-class seems way too hard, doesn’t it?”
“If your goal is low, the result will be low. It is better to aim high regardless.”
“But everyone in S-class is basically a monster…”
Just as Stelle said, every single member of S-class was monstrous.
The princess chosen by stellar magic.
The duke’s daughter who had wielded a sword since childhood in the barren northern mountains.
The fastest prince of the underground city.
The divine archer from the elves’ great forest.
The tribal champion who came from the beastmen’s vast plains.
The heroine from the hidden paradise of Amazon.
Even the beastmaster who tamed imaginary divine beasts.
As expected of the protagonist generation that would be swept into the main story, they were all heroes of monstrous caliber. The name countless professors and people had given to this generation was precisely—
Talents so rare they might appear only once in an era had gathered in a single generation.
To stand beside them was the requirement for entering S-class. Even if one achieved good grades in midterms and finals, the true test would still be measured against S-class. In the past there had been a system of proving oneself through duels with upperclassmen, but the academy had abolished it after it devolved into indiscriminate violence. Still, duels had taken root again in another form within the academy…
The Senior-Junior Exchange Tournament one week from now.
The Freshman Exchange Tournament one month from now.
Among them, the Freshman Exchange Tournament had been the stage for the first chapter of Tales of Sword & Magic.
“We must leave outstanding results on every one of these stages.”
The spring breeze blew gently. Laughter from the new students echoed across the academy grounds. Since it was still the course registration period, first-years could be seen wandering freely. Hint and Stelle walked together through the campus. He had been slightly worried that someone might harass them for being F-class, but fortunately the twin magic of spring and new enrollment seemed to have everyone distracted. The other students were too busy enjoying themselves to bother picking fights.
“It’s spring~”
“Indeed. It is fortunate everyone still looks so energetic.”
The academy’s schedule grew more brutal the higher one’s rank. Even S-class students had to attend from nine in the morning until six in the evening with nonstop classes, then drown in assignments until they could barely sleep. Well, that was not his problem for now. Hint led Stelle toward the large fountain in the center of the academy.
“But seriously, what’s with the sudden treasure hunt talk?”
“The academy has items placed throughout the grounds to encourage student growth.”
“Items?”
“Yes. Elixirs, artifacts, weapons, and even things whose purpose is impossible to guess.”
“Did the academy put them there?”
“Not exactly. More precisely, they are gifts graduates leave behind for their juniors.”
By tradition, graduates of the academy hid presents for their juniors on the island before leaving. It was meant to nurture a spirit of adventure in their successors and to send gifts to the heroes who would follow in their footsteps.
“Then is the cabin we’re staying in one of those gifts too?”
“Most likely. I found it by chance, so I cannot be completely certain.”
Hint and Stelle stopped in front of the enormous fountain at the center of the academy’s grand plaza. The statue, beautifully carved in the likeness of the god worshiped by the continent’s greatest order—the Arisia Order—was so exquisite that simply looking at it filled the heart with reverence. Spreading wings and a praying maiden. Stelle’s eyes sparkled.
“Wow. What a beautiful statue.”
“It is a statue the Saint who once attended this academy carved personally over three days and nights.”
“So the hidden item is here?”
Stelle looked all around the statue. There didn’t appear to be any obvious hiding spot. At that moment, she noticed two girls who looked like second-years on the opposite side of the fountain, carefully filling a small bottle with water.
“Hint. That’s…”
“Yes. Both the statue and the water itself are the items.”
Hidden Piece No. 23
Grade: Legendary Relic
Effect: Transforms ordinary water into low-grade potions with mild healing properties. Infinite supply for current students. Legend tells that the goddess Arisia herself granted it divinity after being moved by the Saint’s benevolent heart.
“This water?”
“The statue the previous Saint left behind upon graduating turns the water into ‘potions’ with mild effects.”
“The whole fountain is full of potions?!”
“Hehe. Of course, they are only low-grade potions. Still, the fact that we can use them without limit is a privilege granted only to enrolled students.”
Gulp. Stelle swallowed hard. Potions were generally quite expensive. To say nothing of the highest-grade Elixir, even a low-grade potion capable of closing torn wounds carried a price that new students could barely afford. It was standard to fight using herbal medicine or bandages, which were even lower-tier. That was why the value of this fountain was beyond imagination.
Hint took out the four empty bottles he had prepared from his pocket. Then he clasped his hands together and offered a prayer before the statue.
“Were you a follower of the Arisia Order, Hint?”
“No. Impiously enough, I do not believe in gods. However, one must still show proper respect to one’s senior.”
A single Saint had carved this statue until her hands bled for the sake of her juniors. The least one could do was express a small measure of gratitude. Stelle stood beside him and prayed as well. It was only a brief prayer. Afterward the two filled their bottles to the brim and turned to leave the fountain.
Or they tried to.
If not for the girl who suddenly called out to them.
“F-class. Hint. F-class. Stelle.”
Her hair fell to her waist just like Stelle’s, yet it was neatly arranged. The pure white strands, straight and orderly like her gaze, gave the impression of staring at a frozen waterfall. What drew the eye even more, however, were her crimson eyes that seemed to hold pools of blood. Each step she took carried both power and grace, immediately revealing that she was a noble unlike Hint and Stelle.
The Northern Duke’s daughter.
Yulia Frostwolf.
Her footsteps halted right in front of them.
“I have something I wish to ask. Might you spare a moment?”