Chapter 75: The First Letter (75)
Chapter 75: The First Letter (75)
Darkness had settled over the heavens, but light and heat lingered upon the earth.
It was a sight as if the countless stars of the night sky had been dragged down to the ground. The radiant fever of civilization scorched the land.
The halos of Great Nature had no choice but to yield their glorious seats to the earth for this one day. Only the moonlight remained, holding its presence alone amidst the rivalry between nature and civilization.
It was a landscape signaling the end of the Hunting Festival. Before long, a massive crowd of spectators had gathered in front of the Academy’s Southern Forest.
The greatest spectacle of the two-day weekend festival was about to begin.
Though it was a two-day event, tomorrow was only scheduled for an after-party to celebrate the hunting results. The representative event of the Hunting Festival was, without question, the awards ceremony held tonight.
It was the time when the crowds scattered throughout the Academy converged into a single location. Even the students operating stalls would close them temporarily to gather here as the ceremony approached.
That was what it meant to win the Hunting Festival—to become the Academy’s greatest hunter of the year and its most scrutinized student.
In truth, by this time, rumors about who the winners were had inevitably spread.
Hundreds of spectators were already camped out in front of the forest, waiting. Rumors of who had hunted which demonic beast traveled from mouth to mouth.
I heard a certain fourth-year senior subjugated a bear-like beast, likely a high-ranking one. Someone in the third year supposedly hunted dozens of intermediate beasts.
The Academy was a place where talents, handpicked from across the continent, gathered. Even without measuring the mana grade of the beasts, the students' discernment was already on par with seasoned hunters.
Thus, the information about the winners, which should have been mere hearsay, was quite reliable. At most, there were only minor discrepancies. Nevertheless, the students enrolled in the Academy flocked to the awards ceremony at dusk like ants lured by the scent of sugar.
Hearing it is one thing; seeing it is another. And sometimes, when unbelievable rumors were passed around, people moved to confirm their veracity. Tonight’s massive crowd was the result of those two factors.
The students, now packed so tightly there was no room to step, looked around restlessly, hoping to spot a familiar face.
Sure enough, the Academy’s celebrities were already seated in front of the podium.
“Hey, look over there. It’s the Princess, the top student of the first-year Magic Department!”
“Hey, hey. Watch your mouth. No matter the setting, you can’t just call out the Great Bloodline like that.”
“What does it matter? We’re at the Academy. And there’s the Saintess, and even the Queen of the Ball…”
Whispers recited the names of those attending the ceremony. It was an event that almost every student at the Academy attended.
Those with noble status, exceptional skill, or fame for their beauty were no exception. And some of those currently sitting as mere spectators would be called the leading candidates to win the Hunting Festival by next year.
The noisy clearing fell silent the moment an old mage began to walk forward. It was as if a master switch had been flipped.
He was an old man with a thick mane of snow-white hair. His most striking feature was a beard that reached down to his waist. His name was Delemore—a professor who had nurtured students at the Academy for a long time and the current Chancellor.
As one of the few 7th Circle mages on the continent, he was evaluated as a figure standing on the threshold of the 'Master' rank.
Whether he could cross the final wall of Masterhood, which had frustrated countless geniuses, in his remaining years was unknown. However, the mere fact that he possessed the potential to do so was more than enough reason for him to be revered.
Excluding the only three Masters in existence, it meant there was no powerhouse capable of overwhelming him.
Despite being such a terrifyingly powerful individual, the traces of passing years were evident on his aged frame. This was because he had intentionally neglected his physical aging, following his convictions as a mage seeking the Truth.
At a glance, he appeared to be nothing more than a frail, benevolent-looking old man.
Yet, his presence, which silenced thousands with just a few steps, was overwhelming. Everyone present knew the truth.
They knew that if this rustic-looking mage truly set his mind to it, he was a monster capable of wiping out a small village in an instant.
The temporary podium erected in the clearing was high. Standing before it, Chancellor Delemore remained silent for a moment, scanning the audience.
It didn't take long for him to speak. His trembling voice echoed throughout the clearing.
“…Respected students of the Academy!”
That voice, ringing through the atmosphere, boasted overwhelming volume. It was the result of a specialized spell. It was clearly just the weak, trembling voice of an old man, yet its magnitude was enough to pierce the ears of thousands.
Everyone’s attention was focused. They instinctively knew that the long-awaited moment had arrived.
“First, I thank you for showing such passionate interest in the Hunting Festival again this year. Over five hundred students participated, and as they do every year, they have shown results beyond imagination. Although there were some unfortunate incidents…”
Chancellor Delemore did not specify what those 'unfortunate incidents' were, but the students standing before the podium had already heard the stories.
The students' mouths, which had been shut for a moment, began to wag. It wasn't overtly loud, but the whispering was enough to be grating.
“Did you hear? That Senior Delphine…”
“I heard the Hand Axe Young Master rescued her. But apparently, there were traces of emergency treatment, and the cause of the wounds looked like she’d been hacked by something like an axe.”
“Ugh, how scary. He’s a noble, so how can he be so barbaric?”
“Hmph, isn't it because he’s a lower noble? Senior Delphine must have been caught in a cowardly ambush. Does it make sense for the noble Yurdina bloodline to be defeated by a mere lower noble?”
“W-well, despite that, I heard all four members of her team had axe marks on them… No matter how much of an ambush it was, the Hand Axe Young Master couldn't have jumped four people at once, right?”
Of course, the truth of those rumors was unknown. Various opinions were reflected, and some testimonies might be exaggerated or ignored. Eventually, at some point, the rumors would vanish.
The Yurdina family would never leave such shameful rumors alone—especially rumors regarding the family’s successor. Regardless of the truth, today’s events were destined to become a story only whispered among those in the know.
The Academy students were well aware of that future. Thus, they enjoyed their brief freedom even more passionately. The whispering continued to spread.
Their mouths finally shut when Chancellor Delemore’s speech, which was both short and long, came to an end.
“…Then, from this moment, I shall announce the glorious winners of this year’s Hunting Festival!”
Those words were the signal. Once again, thousands of pairs of eyes turned toward the podium in unison. And every time Chancellor Delemore called out a winner, thunderous applause and cheers erupted.
The third and second places were called in order, followed by special prizes for the person who hunted the smallest beast and the person who hunted the most beasts.
The high-ranking officials from various nations seated in the VIP section watched the students ascending the podium in silence. One could tell just by their sharp gazes that they were closely observing each winner.
The sequence of presenting awards, announcing prizes, and giving acceptance speeches repeated several times.
In the meantime, the night had grown quite deep. Nevertheless, the crowd gathered before the podium did not thin out. The most important announcement remained.
It was the moment the protagonist of the Hunting Festival, one of the Academy’s biggest events, would be revealed.
Chancellor Delemore adjusted his monocle with a trembling hand. Then, he began to speak in a solemn voice.
“I have been in the teaching profession for decades, but I still find joy in watching the youth. It is because young people like you always create variables that exceed imagination.”
As he spoke, the Chancellor lightly flicked his index finger. A grand surge of mana erupted, and soon, the corpse of a demonic beast that had been hidden behind the stage revealed itself.
Seeing the floating corpse of that beast, several students screamed. They were first-years who were not yet accustomed to demonic beasts. It was a massive body, that imposing.
It was a size closer to a tree or a building than an animal. The length from snout to tail was impossible to estimate at a glance, and even if one stood beside it, it seemed it would be the size of two grown men combined.
Unlike the freshmen who covered their eyes, the students from the second year and above reacted relatively calmly. Even so, an unhideable shock was reflected in their eyes.
Though it was a body from which life had long departed, one could tell just by its remains.
A high-ranking demonic beast—or even more. It might even be at a level that deserved a name.
The rumors were true. Realizing this, several people began to whisper among themselves. However, the winner had not even appeared yet.
“This year’s Hunting Festival presented a dangerous situation. Without our knowledge, a great evil was lurking in the forest. Many people might have been killed or injured. I offer my deepest apologies for this.”
Chancellor Delemore bowed his waist, clearly expressing his apology. The murmuring spread even further.
It was a commotion filled with both fear and curiosity. One was the fear of the possibility that a large-scale bloody incident could have occurred, and the other was the curiosity about who exactly the protagonist was who had hunted that terrifying beast.
The answer was soon revealed. Chancellor Delemore’s booming voice struck the clearing once more.
“However, through a life-or-death struggle by some courageous students, that evil was eliminated, and I stand here to convey my deepest, deepest gratitude to them. I will now call their names one by one.”
Everyone gasped. Many already knew from what they’d heard, but seeing that overwhelmingly large corpse, their minds were once again consumed by a single question.
Does a student who can hunt such a monster truly exist?
“First, from the fourth year of the Magic Department, Elsie Lainella!”
A small girl with a smug face bounded onto the stage in an instant. Wearing a large pointed hat, she placed her hands on her hips. She looked immensely proud.
However, no cheers returned. The crowd was still swallowing hard, waiting for the next protagonist.
“And from the second year of the Swordsmanship Department, Seria Yurdina!”
A woman with gray hair and a cold expression walked slowly onto the stage. She looked haughty, but no one in the audience knew that this was the face she made when she was incredibly nervous.
Instead, people were focusing on something else.
She was the lowborn of the Yurdina family. She had achieved the task of the Yurdina family that Delphine Yurdina had failed to accomplish.
A slight stir arose among the spectators. Before that commotion could even spread, the next name was called.
“Also from the second year of the Swordsmanship Department, Celine Haster!”
As if pouring out the cheers they had been holding back, celebratory shouts erupted in the clearing.
Leading this were the second-years of the Swordsmanship Department. Among them, the cheers from the lower noble girls were particularly high and loud. It was where Celine’s friends were most densely concentrated.
The black-haired girl with amber eyes scratched her cheek awkwardly. She merely waved her hand once while slightly averting her gaze. That alone was enough to make her friends act as if they were about to faint from excitement.
Of course, that commotion did not last long.
“Now, for the final name.”
At that heavy declaration, the audience fell silent once more. They watched the podium with eyes where expectation and fear coexisted.
No one was unaware that the next name to be called was the true protagonist of this year’s Hunting Festival. While the glory of the victory is shared among the team members, the weight of the title 'Leader' could not be ignored.
And above all, he was the most talked-about person in the Academy recently. According to rumors, his contribution was the greatest in hunting that terrifying monster.
He was the man who had beaten 'the Yurdina brat' to a pulp.
After that, he had subjugated ten demonic beasts, including a high-ranking one, all by himself, and crushed the notorious Teahn’s gang of the Southern Kingdoms with a single hand axe.
And he was the man rumored to have started a sword fight inside the room of the fourth-year Swordsmanship top student, Delphine Yurdina, and completely defeated her today.
It had been a month like a storm. In just thirty days, the achievements he had accumulated were heavier than his entire previous life at the Academy.
He slowly revealed himself on the stage.
Jet-black hair matted with blood, and golden eyes that refused to lose their luster even in the gloom.
His Academy uniform was stained and filthy with blood. It was impossible to tell whose blood it was. Judging by his left arm, which was wrapped tightly in bandages, it was clear that his condition was far from normal.
Even though he must have received emergency treatment from a high priest, he looked like a wreck. It was proof of how desperate a struggle he had endured.
Because of that, the audience felt even more overwhelmed. That blood-soaked appearance was the most undeniable evidence that he had fought a life-or-death battle with that giant beast.
“…From the third year of the Swordsmanship Department, the Leader, Ian Percus!”
The eyes of the high-ranking officials from various nations gazed deeply at him. Among the silent crowd, a few gazes were particularly prominent.
The 'Saintess of the Holy Kingdom,' the 'Queen of the Ball,' and even the girl called the 'Princess,' the top student of the first-year Magic Department.
They were individuals who boasted formidable reputations. However, even they, who scattered light like stars, were not the protagonists of tonight.
The protagonist of tonight was only one.
For at this moment, the share belonged to the man standing on the stage, covered in blood.
Countless eyes focused on his firmly closed lips.