Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Aftermath
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The aftermath of the incident was handled swiftly.
With the arrival of the Beast King, Gaion, the scene was quickly brought under control, and the professors were personally rescued by Zaqnir.
Their faces were pale, looking as if they might faint at any moment, but thankfully, none had died.
As soon as they regained their senses, the professors sent a request for aid to the academy.
The academy responded to the incident with remarkable speed.
Before long, a large medical team arrived via spatial magic, providing generous support, including elixirs and other precious potions.
The total number of casualties was tallied at 72.
Among them, 23 were dead.
One might have been shocked by the fact that more than half of the 141 students who had come for the field study in the colossal ruin were either injured or dead, but seeing the size of the slain monster’s corpse, everyone seemed to understand.
However, the noble families were utterly appalled by the situation.
“You will have to provide a proper explanation for this incident!”
“Even if casualties are a common occurrence, this is too much, isn’t it?”
In principle, upon entering the academy, it is clearly stated that casualties may occur due to various safety accidents and unforeseen circumstances.
But it is the academy’s responsibility to investigate the ruin’s difficulty and various dangers before a dungeon field study.
They demanded a proper answer, claiming the academy was responsible for this disaster.
The academy’s response to such fierce backlash was simple.
“Our academy fully acknowledges its responsibility in this matter. As such, we conducted a secret investigation and found that there was a true culprit behind the incident.”
The culprit identified by the academy was the former family of the Shield of the Heavens, Zaqnir.
“According to information obtained with Sir Zaqnir’s cooperation, we have secured circumstantial evidence that they, in an attempt to reclaim their past glory, sought to get their hands on Sir Zaqnir, enlisted the help of the former member of the Eight Strongest, the Queen of Shadows, and used numerous holy relics to isolate the professors in a separate space…”
The academy’s announcement stunned the nobles who had been probing for some minor concessions.
“What? The Queen of Shadows has returned?”
“This is insane. I thought she retired after being injured…”
“…Aren’t we going to be targeted now?”
The Queen of Shadows.
A figure who had reigned as the queen of the underworld until three years ago, making countless people tremble in fear.
The news of her return caused such a stir that the deaths of the academy students were treated as a minor issue.
Just as attention shifted away from the students’ deaths, the academy released another shocking announcement.
“Our academy will not forget the atrocities they have committed, and the Shield of the Heavens, Sir Zaqnir, has declared that he will punish them himself. The academy will assist Sir Zaqnir and affirms that it will not seek any form of gain…”
One of the Eight Strongest was stepping forward to punish them personally.
In other words, it was a declaration that he would wipe them out completely.
Normally, if such an event occurred, the Empire or another member of the Eight Strongest would have intervened to mediate, but this time, what they had done was so egregious that no one stepped forward.
Besides, though they were the royal family of a fallen kingdom, they were still royalty.
Those who had secretly viewed them as a source of trouble welcomed the news with open arms.
In less than three days, Zaqnir’s former family came face to face with the greatest masterpiece they had ever created, and the battle was over in less than half a day. It could hardly be called a battle.
Just as he had declared, they were simply punished.
The interests they had held were transferred to the families of the deceased students, and a satisfactory sum was delivered to the parents of the commoner students.
The remaining family members were all executed at Zaqnir’s hands.
“Furthermore, the head of the investigation team, who failed to conduct a proper inquiry, will have his Circle broken and be imprisoned in the underground dungeon. The remaining members of the investigation team will be dismissed from their positions, and the rights they have enjoyed until now will be revoked.”
Thus, no one raised any objections to the academy’s public statement.
After all, it was somewhat understandable that a single investigation could not uncover everything about a ruin.
And so, the incident came to a close with their punishment.
The deaths of the students were worth only that much.
The other first-year students were given a temporary break for a few weeks.
The professors were in no condition to teach due to the effects of using grand magic.
“…We remember that they were excellent students and talented individuals befitting the academy, and we will never forget those who have departed before us…”
The deceased students were buried in a cemetery designed like a park within the academy grounds.
It was one of the benefits an academy student could receive.
Students who had gone on field studies to other ruins were relieved they hadn’t been there, while the friends of the deceased were lost in grief.
Allen stared at their graves for a while before turning to walk away.
He had no destination.
He simply walked wherever his feet took him.
As he walked, his gaze suddenly fell upon a corner of the park.
Long, ivory-colored hair.
Rachel was crouched in a corner of the park, her chin resting in her hands, staring at something.
Allen walked over to her.
“What are you doing here?”
Allen sat down beside her. Rachel answered in a subdued voice.
“Something sad happened, so I’m here.”
In the direction she was looking, a small gravestone stood.
“If you’re sad, isn’t it better to be somewhere else?”
“When I’m sad, I’d rather just get sadder than try to cheer myself up by watching something funny. What about you?”
Her calm, sky-blue eyes reflected him.
“You weren’t in a good state either. Are you okay now?”
“…As for me, yes. I can’t say I’m doing that great even now.”
“Then…”
“But.”
Allen shook his head as if making a promise to himself.
“I’m fine.”
“Allen, it’s not your fault. It was just an unfortunate accident. A sudden spatial transfer…”
“I know. I… I know.”
*That the accident happened because of me.*
“But it’s not something I can easily forget.”
“…That’s true.”
She leaned against him with a downcast face, as if she understood that those feelings couldn’t be helped.
“Still, you can overcome this, right? Because it’s you.”
She looked up at him, her tone coaxing. Her sky-blue eyes were filled with worry for him.
Allen gave a small laugh, as if to say it was needless worry, and replied as he usually would.
“Yes, it won’t take long. Well then, I have something to do…”
As he stood up, Rachel straightened his disheveled collar.
“Let’s meet this weekend. At the north gate.”
“Alright.”
Allen nodded.
*Can I overcome this?*
Could he even forget?
Allen scoffed and shook his head.
Neither would be easy.
Nor was it possible.
As he turned and walked away, the fire in his heart grew stronger. The flames blazed higher than before.
* * *
*Sshaaaa—*
Hot water streamed from above, soaking his hair and washing over his body. Allen stood still under the stream, sorting through his emotions.
It was an old habit of his to stand in thought under water hot enough to scald.
Droplets of water trickled down the contours of his skin.
Allen reflected on his actions at the academy thus far.
He had learned of Benjamin and Julius’s duel through the black book and used it to forge a relationship with the Second Prince, who would become Julius’s enemy in the future.
He had healed Benjamin, who would have ended up a cripple in his past life, and secured funds by selling the elixir formula to the Alchemy Magic Tower.
Even before enrolling, he had supported the Sindri siblings, who would have lived a difficult life, through Catherine, and made secret contact with the Cycle Cult through them.
He rarely missed a day at the academy’s grand library and, through Inellia, never overlooked even the smallest of auctions.
*Were my actions insufficient?*
They weren’t. And yet, they were.
Allen had done everything he could to prepare from his position.
As proof, Acandus and Karic had now finished organizing their group and would arrive in Elpis within a few days to begin their activities. The task he had entrusted to Linbelle was also ready to be resolved.
But Allen’s actions were only thorough in preparing for the *future* Julius. He hadn’t accounted for the *present* one.
*So? What could I do by stopping the present Julius? If I stop him now, will the real Julius return?*
No.
His goal was to gather those who bore a grudge against Julius after suffering at his hands.
He had resolved himself in the chimera master’s workshop to accept a certain number of victims.
Still, he had thought that, like Benjamin, he wouldn’t turn a blind eye to those within his reach.
*But why.*
Hadn’t he resolved to do anything to get Julius back in the first place?
Creak—
The faucet handle turned, and the water temperature rose.
That resolve hadn’t changed, even now.
The problem was that he had gotten too close.
*Right, the problem isn’t that Julius killed them.*
The problem is that I got too close to them.
They were the first equal relationships he’d formed outside of his family and subordinates, so he had grown attached. He had gotten in too deep.
So much so that it felt like a momentary deviation.
Would Allen have been this shaken if strangers had died at Julius’s hands?
Would he have felt this same rage?
*No. I would have coldly approached the survivors and recruited them.*
The bastard’s actions hadn’t changed from the past, and they hadn’t changed now. Hadn’t he known even before regressing that the bodies of the dead piled up like mountains around him?
He had read about scenes like this in countless documents.
This was just the first time he had felt and experienced it himself.
Creak—
He twisted the faucet handle. Even hotter water poured out.
*Yes, this can be used as an opportunity.*
When he recruits those with a grudge against Julius, he can empathize with them and instill a sense of camaraderie from having shared the same experience.
Creak—
He twisted the handle again. A giant’s body wouldn’t be burned by this temperature.
*In the end, we were only going to be together for about a month anyway.*
Isn’t it a good thing if, through that one month, I gained a justification to draw others in? I just need to be more careful from now on.
To make sure a situation like this never happens again.
Thoroughly.
Creak—
The stakes had gotten higher. So, could he fold now? Or ask for a new game?
*I can’t do that.*
He was already riding on the dragon’s back.
The ending would be one of two things.
Like so many others, he would either be devoured by the dragon, or he would tame it and become a dragon knight.
“…-ter!”
Creak—
His vision blurred. It seemed to be the effect of being in such a hot space for too long.
“…Master Allen!”
Creak—
Still, he wanted to raise the temperature even more today. But perhaps due to a problem with the facility, the temperature was rising too slowly. In that case, one more time—.
*Clack—*
“Master Allen!”
The bathroom door flew open, and black hair swayed. The scent of sandalwood drew near as a pair of violet eyes met Allen’s.
“…Linbelle? What are you doing here all of a sudden…?”
“You didn’t come out after three hours, so I got worried. But why is it so hot in here… Ouch, hot!”
She quickly moved and turned the faucet handle in the opposite direction.
The handle turned smoothly without a sound.
Afterward, as if it were routine, she brought a large towel and began to attend to him. Allen, though surprised at first, accepted her service with familiarity.
Once he was fully dressed, Allen finally asked her.
“So, what’s this all of a sudden?”
For the past three months, she had been so busy carrying out the tasks Allen had given her that he had barely seen her.
He had planned to summon her soon to execute the plan they had been preparing for months, but not right now.
“…Hehe. I was worried about you, and Mom said she couldn’t come because of the auction schedule, so she told me to come instead.”
She smiled awkwardly, like a child trying to hide a mistake, and began to trim his hair.
“Hmm… Well, I suppose it’s about time, so this should be fine.”
When he didn’t mention her mistake, her expression brightened, and she slowly moved the scissors.
“It’s grown long while I was away. For you, it’s up to here, right, Master?”
“Yes, that’s enough.”
“I know everything about you, Master~”
She trimmed his hair with a proud look on her face. Despite not having seen him for months, her skills had become even more proficient.
“It seems your skills have improved. Have you been practicing separately?”
“Yes! The person I’ve been staying with is so messy… Ah.”
She froze for a moment as if remembering something, then resumed moving her hands and spoke cautiously.
“There’s someone I’d like to introduce to you, Master.”
“Who is that… Don’t tell me.”
As if confirming Allen’s suspicion, she nodded and then shouted toward the door.
“I almost forgot, so I’ll call her right now! Iliana!”
As she finished speaking, the dormitory door opened, and a girl appeared.
With perky, triangular ears, canines peeking out from her lips, and a rather pale complexion, the gray-haired girl walked in slowly, an unreadable expression on her face as she looked at them.
“I am Iliana, from the Department of Engineering.”