Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Guidance and Preparations
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On a clear night when stars poured down like rain.
A single meteor fell.
That star, though a star, was not a star.
Drawing a long tail, it flew and fell upon the head of the chieftain who was keeping watch through the night, creating a single sentence.
[Find the Star’s Cape and save the exiled Incarnation.]
At the revelation from the stars they had so longed for, the Minima and Arachne chieftains convened their tribesmen, despite the late hour.
They rejoiced at the chieftain’s words that the stars had bestowed a revelation.
And as soon as day broke, they moved throughout the Great Desert to fulfill the prophecy.
As priests and children of the stars, they had to fulfill the word of their gods.
They scoured the valleys carved by sandstorms and threw themselves into antlions, and in the process, monsters even attacked their villages.
But the Star’s Cape was never found.
Finding a cape surrounded by water in a desert filled with sand was nigh impossible.
Yet, they never gave up.
And so… several years passed.
They still hadn’t found the Star’s Cape, but they had made some progress.
They learned that the Star’s Cape was not a physical landform but a metaphorical expression for some place.
And that this place was likely one of the many ruins scattered across this land.
Opinions were divided on the Incarnation as well, suggesting it wasn't an actual avatar of a transcendent being, but perhaps a holy relic that could be described as such.
Having failed to find the Star’s Cape despite searching every corner of the Great Desert, they changed their course.
They began to actively support the guide work they had previously done only minimally to obtain food, forming connections with many people to excavate ruins.
There were sacrifices among some tribesmen in the process, but they did not stop.
In an age where the gods had fallen, their faith, which still allowed them to communicate with the stars, was extraordinary.
Another thirty years passed. When a boy who had been but a mere child ascended to the position of chieftain, another revelation descended.
No, not one, but several revelations.
[Go west and find the chosen one.]
[Go and help him. If you do, you shall achieve your wish.]
[Do not fear the wind; worry only that your wish remains unfulfilled.]
It was astonishing, as multiple revelations descending at once were something only seen in records.
‘The last time a revelation of this form came was 137 years ago, wasn’t it….’
That, too, was a revelation to help a certain man.
Unlike prophecies that usually pointed to events years or even decades away, they had found the subject of that revelation in a matter of days.
‘That man back then also looked surprised by something as he looked at the stone tablet.’
The memory of his foreign features, staring at the tablet with a look of surprise, remained vivid.
They had cared for the man with all their hearts according to the stars' revelation, and after ninety-nine days, they cast him out of the tribe as commanded.
Therefore, this new revelation was also highly likely to be realized soon.
The tribes, unafraid of the sandstorms, reached the western edge of the Great Desert, near the adventurer city of Kairan.
And there, they met two men.
Allen and Julius.
At first, they were confused as to who the chosen one might be, but they soon stopped pondering.
‘It could mean both of them.’
They were said to be from the same family, so who was to say that ‘a man’ truly meant only one person?
The chieftain did not make the mistake of defining the gods' words according to his own judgment.
As the men wished, the tribes guided them through the sandstorm to Elpis, finally succeeding in forging a connection.
“Isn’t it a great relief, Chieftain?”
“It is thanks to following the guidance of the stars.”
The chieftain’s wrinkled eyes did not stir at Alexius’s words.
“Even so… who would have known that ‘find the chosen one’ meant this.”
As Alexius’s gaze turned forward, the sight of pointed spires rising high above the sand came into view.
The four spires suggested the presence of a massive castle beneath the vast sands.
“The size of the spires alone surpasses that of a typical ruin. I can’t even imagine how enormous the main castle must be….”
When the ruin appeared a few days ago with a great tremor, they had thought it was just one of the rare, super-large ruins that occasionally appeared.
So they had planned to act as guides and explore the ruin as usual.
But their thoughts changed when an investigation team from the Academy began to control the ruin.
“This must be the place. Chieftain, no, Father.”
“Our chieftain is also certain that this is the place.”
The revelation that had descended not long ago.
Allen and Julius, presumed to be among the subjects of that revelation.
The controlled ruin and the rumor that the Academy had exercised its right of preemption.
“I know.”
“Then why do you hesitate? If we don’t enter now when they’re allowing a vanguard team, it will be too late.”
Alexius was anxious.
The fact that the Academy used its right of preemption meant that no one could enter that ruin for the time being.
The only chance was the vanguard team, which was allowed exceptional entry on the condition of sharing information about the ruin’s interior.
“Haven’t you already sent a letter to him?”
“I received a reply a while ago saying he would be coming here for a dungeon practicum.”
The chieftain did not blame Alexius and Erini for rushing him. Youthful blood was like that; he knew well, having been the same once.
How could he not understand their anticipation of being able to fulfill the revelation of the stars they served?
“Hmm….”
“The guilds have already made their move. Those wolf-like mercenaries, too! If we don’t move quickly, we’ll lose our chance!”
Alexius argued passionately.
Erini nodded beside him, supporting his opinion.
Despite the protests of the young successors, the Minima chieftain fell into quiet contemplation.
The reason for his conflict was not the impending danger. It was the wish of the stars; how could he consider his own sacrifice?
Only one thing bothered him.
‘…Could the revelation to help the chosen one merely mean we can get help entering a dungeon?’
If that was all, wouldn't any other Academy student have sufficed?
The chieftain believed there had to be a reason why the stars had specifically pointed them out.
But he couldn’t just wait indefinitely either.
“Father!”
From the sounds outside, it was clear that the Arachne chieftain, who had gone to calm the other youths, had also reached his limit.
“…If the chieftain will not fulfill his duty! Then I will go myse—.”
“Very well. I permit it.”
“!!”
Alexius quickly raised his head.
“Go and tell the tribesmen outside. I will give everyone a chance to fulfill the revelation.”
“…As expected! I understand.”
One cannot arbitrarily judge the will of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, one must do everything possible.
“I will go and prepare!”
“I will see you later.”
The chieftain watched Alexius and Erini leave, rustling the tent flap, and quietly stroked the stone tablet.
“…I must prepare for anything.”
The wrinkled eyes, shadowed by deep lines, gleamed faintly.
* * *
Supplementary Class, Lower Class, Intermediate Class, Upper Class, Advanced Class.
Although they were classified into a total of five classes, the cadets rarely used the official names.
They simply referred to them alphabetically, from A-Class to E-Class.
This was because being assigned to a lower class could wound the pride of the nobles.
It was a desperate attempt to cover their shame, however slightly, by using letters instead of explicit words.
“I am Evan Baroque of C-Class. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Oh my, you must be Evan. I’m Eriel Hail of D-Class. And you are?”
Evan, with his confident stature, spoke boldly. Eriel, in front of him, greeted him with a demure gesture and turned her head.
“I-I’m William of B-Class. I… have no surname.”
Was the gaze of the nobles burdensome? William trembled slightly and avoided their eyes.
“Hmm, B-Class… You must be quite skilled, William.”
Her eyes had sparkled the moment he said he was in B-Class. She offered a compliment and subtly moved closer to him.
“Calling me William-nim… Please, speak comfortably, Lady Eriel. I was just lucky….”
“Call me Eriel.”
As she approached, William’s face reddened and he stepped back. Seeing Eriel’s interest in William, Evan subtly inserted himself between them.
“Ahem, you must have been very lucky indeed. I’ll be moving up to B-Class next semester, so I hope to see you there.”
“Oh my, I’m sure you will, Evan.”
As if she had any basis for saying that with such certainty.
Eriel smiled brightly and took a step back, while William, seeming to find the nobles’ attention not so bad after all, cautiously opened his mouth.
“I-I also believe that Lord Evan will certainly be able to do so.”
“You think so?”
Evan laughed heartily at his flattery.
Evan, who proudly announced he was C-Class, and Eriel, who answered she was D-Class.
And then there was William of B-Class, who humbled himself so as not to offend them.
They were currently in a rehearsal for the dungeon practicum that would take place in a week.
Besides them, dozens of other students had gathered in front of the artificial ruin to prepare for the practicum.
The team members, randomly selected one from each class, were awkwardly greeting each other and getting acquainted.
The objective was to safely pass through the artificial ruin.
If there were no problems, this team would almost certainly remain the same for the actual dungeon practicum, so they were all carefully sizing each other up.
“Wow! You’re a rare healer, William? I was so scared of getting hurt… what a relief!”
“If you get hurt, I-I’ll heal you.”
“Thank you, William.”
“I’ll block all the enemy attacks.”
“Lord Evan is so reassuring too.”
Allen quietly watched their interactions.
“Aren’t you going to join in?”
‘There’s no need to approach them first.’ It was true that Allen had come to the Academy with a purpose, and networking was part of it, but he had decided to approach it in a different way rather than being overtly forward.
‘Approaching them in a friendly manner first would be good, but….’
It didn’t suit his disposition.
“William, you’re not as incompetent as the commoners I know. I like that.”
“Lord Evan, isn’t that a bit dismissive of William?”
“I-I’m fine.”
“William, you have a good personality too. Is this why you’re in B-Class? So, we’ve finished our introductions. What about the other person….”
Her gaze turned to Allen, who had been quietly listening to the conversation.
As if he had never worn a stoic expression, Allen smiled warmly and bowed his head.
“You were all having such a pleasant conversation that I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Allen Reinhardt of A-Class.”
“The one who ranked second….”
“Yes, that’s me.”
Allen nodded humbly.
“When are you going to be punished for that thick skin of yours?”
‘Shut up.’ Those who had vaguely guessed Allen’s identity brightened up.
Though it was just a rehearsal, a dungeon was still a dungeon. The thought of passing through safely thanks to Allen was enough to lift their spirits.
“I’ve heard much of the Reinhardt family’s renown!”
“Lord Allen’s name has spread even to my territory. I’ve always wanted to meet you….”
What did they know about the Reinhardt family to be chattering like that?
Allen lightly accepted their routine pleasantries and replied.
He had to maintain a fair and good image at all times for his future plans.
So that no one would doubt his actions.
“I’ve heard of the Baroque family as well. They say the lake on Baroque Hill is quite beautiful.”
“You know of the lake on my family’s hill! If you’re ever passing by, you must visit.”
“And isn’t the Hail family famous for its wine?”
“Oh my…. If you’d like, I’d love to invite you to a tasting sometime.”
Drawing their favor, Allen approached William, who had been left standing alone.
“Don’t just stand there, come over here. I’m very interested in rare healing mages. I’d like you to satisfy my curiosity.”
“Y-You are?”
He seemed pleased by Allen’s consideration and quickly approached.
Just as they were all relaxing and conversing, an instructor shouted.
“Alright, quiet down! It’s time. Each team, please enter the artificial ruin in order! I will now call out the names! Group 1: Allen Reinhardt, Evan Baroque, Eriel Hail, and William.”
Designated as the first group, they looked at each other.
Seemingly not nervous, they took their positions and headed towards the portal swirling with gray light.
“Let’s get this over with quickly and go back! Watching you act like that is making me a little sick.”
“……”
Allen silently glared at Vestla and then unfurled the threads of his prana.
The air shimmered faintly as his prana was released after a long time.
As they passed through the portal, their breath plumed in the cool air of the ruin.
“As we decided beforehand, I will be giving the necessary commands.”
“Ah, understood.”
“We’re counting on you.”
“We trust you.”
His senses extended into the darkness, revealing the layout.
The conquest of the artificial ruin had begun.
* * *
“Why does the Supplementary Class even exist?”
“Isn’t it just a gathering of misfits?”
“But couldn’t Julius easily aim for A-Class?”
“Now that you mention it…?”
Abelin’s face soured in disgust at the whispers around her.
“They should mind their own business. Why are they so nosy about us?”
“Well, what can you do.”
“Julius, don’t their words bother you at all?”
“…Hmm.”
Julius wore a troubled expression.
He could understand their reactions, after all.
Just as Julius was about to answer, a voice cut in.
“Their reaction is understandable. While they have to form teams randomly, we get to choose our teammates from within our class. It can’t be helped.”
That was true.
The Supplementary Class truly lived up to its name, receiving special treatment.
‘Not that it’s a good thing.’
It was a handout, given as if to say they wouldn’t survive without it, but to others, it must have seemed unfair.
“It’s good for us, though.”
At the husky voice, he turned his head to see a boy with a long mustache, unbefitting his age, approaching in a wide-lapeled suit.
“Matheus.”
“Julius, are you ready? As per our contract, if you know the clue to my family’s long-held wish….”
“Yes, yes. It’s all prepared. Don’t worry and just get yourself ready.”
“Well, if you say so.”
Matheus shrugged.
He looked a bit ridiculous, like a child trying to imitate an adult.
He chuckled once and turned to walk away.
Julius watched his back, a faint smile on his lips.
‘Matheus was easy to lure in with the bait of his ancestor’s long-held wish.’
And through him, he could obtain immense treasure.
The Supplementary Class was mostly for those with extremely low talent or those like Julius who were hiding their power for some reason.
Julius knew from the original story that many useful supporting characters ended up in the Supplementary Class.
That’s why he had deliberately entered this class to recruit them.
And to collect some hidden pieces along the way.
Besides Matheus, whom he had just spoken with, he had already contacted several others.
He had originally planned to take his time, but with the original story twisting, he had no choice but to act quickly.
[‘Personally’ slay the ancient monster sealed in the ruin and prevent the calamity! Time Limit: 687:52:55]
[Reward: Fragment of Truth (???)]
A ruin that hadn’t appeared in the original story had emerged.
‘I don’t know what exactly a Fragment of Truth is, but I need to acquire it.’
It might even tell him the reason he came to this world.
“…Please enter! I will now call out the names….”
Julius looked at the bolded part of the text, then at Allen, who was striding confidently toward the portal.
‘I’ve taken measures with Haizel just in case, but….’
What should he do about Allen?
Given the quest condition, he couldn’t let Allen accidentally kill the ancient monster sealed in the ruin.
‘Should I ask him to sit this practicum out…. No, that’s not it.’
His brother cherished him, so if he asked Allen to yield the glory, he would.
A villainous demon contractor who doted on his younger brother.
That was how the supporting character ‘Allen’ had been designed.
Julius smiled at the obvious outcome before him.
He couldn’t wait to see what the Fragment of Truth would show him.