Chimera Storage (1)
About two days had passed. The academy students had only been permitted to rest in their lodgings for those two days, citing the need for rest and adjustment after their long journey.
Even during the break, the Knight Department students were out running drills from early morning just like back at the academy, while the Magic Department students meditated. Each group spent their time in their own way before gathering in the central area. They sat apart from the opposing side, as if the space itself had been split in two.
“Honestly, I didn’t like Abathus much. They act like they’re the king or something.”
“Keep your voice down. When you look at power, their side has far better conditions. We wouldn’t have come if this place didn’t look like it had a clearer future.”
“He was a baron, right? I hated how he strutted around with highborn ladies despite having no real background.”
“Whether it’s chimeras or golems, the operating costs are probably similar. If we seize the chance, this side will explode in growth.”
The professors held similar opinions in private, but none of them wanted this opportunity to become a catalyst for division rather than healthy competition. Given that the academy gathered scions from great and small noble houses, it was inevitable that it would mirror Vespian noble society.
Still, the academy’s essence was a place of learning. The extraterritorial rights it enjoyed existed precisely so the academy rules could keep things from going too far. That said, it couldn’t erase the resentment that had built up over time, and it was obvious that grievances were quietly accumulating on both sides.
“In a way, forcing them to clash during this opportunity might be the answer.”
Reina, who alone had free access to both dormitories, muttered to herself as she observed the situation. Though recognized as a pro-golem faction member, her own stance was closer to neutral, so neither the chimera students nor the professors barred her entry or found it unpleasant. If anything, they seemed to hope she would visit more often.
“She’s one of the kingdom’s Five Strongest. Even if Eisen sends assassins or whatever, she’ll cut them down in one stroke.”
Reina’s martial prowess was trusted by everyone. The professors might steer their own sides without crossing lines, but both factions allowed and trusted her movements because they knew she could physically intervene in the worst case.
Besides, Reina couldn’t steal any technology. The chimera’s basic structure was rooted in Abathus’s life magic, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to replicate without direct help from someone on their side.
Conversely, golems were large and loud; if the other side watched, they might notice something, but the intricate internal components moving in perfect coordination meant simply observing wouldn’t let them copy one.
In short, even if Reina spied, she couldn’t take anything away. That was why she constantly moved between both dormitories, keeping an eye on Prince Rial’s subordinates near the grounds to prevent any misconduct. If they intended harm to the students, she had signaled she would cut them down immediately, and she refused to allow the guards and their colleagues from the academy to conduct surveillance either.
‘They’re assassins by trade more than spies. They’re being used for surveillance and escort… but why are they all women wearing the same bracelets?’
Bracelets themselves were common, yet Reina had noticed that women of apparent status on the Gandharva side sometimes wore identical designs. Every assassin wore one. A small curiosity about their meaning surfaced in her mind, but she didn’t worry about it.
‘Well, even if they all rushed me at once, I’d still win.’
Honestly, she was only wary for the students’ sake. At her level, she could live without a care in the world. The other side seemed to understand the gap in skill and showed no sign of crossing the line.
Within that safe environment, the two groups’ usual attitudes differed sharply.
“So Lord Cardio gifted me this perfume, and it was so luxurious…”
“I was introduced to a butler on this side, and he was incredibly handsome.”
Two noble ladies supporting Cardio chatted away, boasting about luxury gifts and praising handsome or beautiful servants along with Cardio himself. The chimera faction’s daily life revolved around slightly excessive perfumes and air fresheners, the scent of tea, and the occasional shared drink among like-minded students at night.
And on the opposite side—
BOOM!
“Fifty degrees north-northwest, sixty paaaaces!!”
“Ray got caught in the explosion! Go after her!”
“Eiseeeen!! Where are you?! How far did you fly?!”
Every day brought a festival of explosions, screams, and voices calling out for people. After resting for roughly eight hours, they immediately dove back into research.
“They have no sense of nobility.”
“Leave them be. Most of them have no real background anyway, that side.”
“Even if the Fifth Saintess is from a humble origin, why are Lady Noel and Lady Erica clinging to them…?”
Listening to the chimera students’ voices, Reina thought for a moment, then inwardly scolded them.
‘They probably just have better foresight than you lot.’
As a conscientious professor, she wished they would learn humility and diligence, knowing that their family’s prestige wasn’t something they had earned themselves.
‘Anyway, they survived.’
Reina felt relieved that the numerous air fresheners had greatly reduced what would otherwise have been an overwhelming stench, and she continued her patrol. She had heard Mina was price-gouging by several times, but everyone seemed desperate to stay alive, so there were no complaints.
The chimera faction had plenty of students who could afford such petty cash. Their overflowing wealth was evident in the decorative items brought into the lodgings that hadn’t originally been there, and vines in the garden were so overgrown that people got caught in them.
“…Why are you hanging there?”
“The explosion was too strong.”
Reina retrieved Eisen, who had somehow flown over the high wall he himself had built.
****
I survived. Tangled in vines instead of a tree and unable to move, I had been worrying about how to escape before falling headfirst when Reina found me. After she cut some of the vines binding me, I finally freed myself, adjusted my posture, and had the rest cut away so I could escape completely.
“It’s a desert, yet there are so many vines and trees here.”
“It’s a place where people live. Why wouldn’t plants survive?”
Strictly speaking, ornamental plants mixed in had been neglected and grown wild… but anyway, I survived. And that was fortunate.
“There are trees, bushes, and vines everywhere, so anyone who flew off should be fine as long as they didn’t go too far.”
“Is flying off a given with you people?”
Professor Reina seemed genuinely puzzled about how these guys were still alive. Logically, anyone caught in an explosion should die instantly, but after several close calls, everyone had learned to reinforce their bodies with mana. They even had enough composure to shout what they had been doing at the moment they flew off, so they were probably all right.
“Come to think of it, Professor Rodelini flew off too. I wonder if she was recovered safely.”
“She flew off as well? This isn’t a circus. You and Senior Rodelini always turn up in the strangest places.”
Professor Reina sighed. Did she want the truth?
“Can’t be helped. Professor Rodelini and I handle the most dangerous parts of the experiments. By the time we realize we should shout where we’re flying, it’s usually too late.”
In my case, I was working on the levitation device, while Professor Rodelini mainly researched armaments… When things exploded, the force was so great there was never time to communicate anything. We could only pray we landed somewhere visible so Erica could retrieve us quickly.
“I’ve been thinking this for a while, but you and Senior Rodelini really need to be analyzed. Medically.”
“We reinforce our bodies with magic before being launched, so we don’t get injured.”
“I meant here.”
She immediately grabbed my head and gave it a solid knock. It didn’t hurt much.
“Let’s head back. Competition has intensified, but no one’s going to make a fuss claiming they came to spy on you.”
“You seem relaxed.”
“Of course I am. Only the personnel from Cardio and Abathus are actually conducting research. The rest are just extras. In a sense, you lot are the strange ones for staying so noisy even after coming here.”
It was supposed to be a pilgrimage, or more accurately a school trip abroad, yet only the Alchemy Department stayed up late every night researching and getting blown away. Lately, a few Magic Department students had joined in, apparently intrigued. I hoped the interest wouldn’t spread to them too.
Even though we had landed in enemy territory, Professor Reina’s presence meant there was no overtly hostile reaction.
“He’s not the type to sneak in… Was that what fell in the backyard earlier?”
“He won’t steal anything valuable. Mana metal would be different, though.”
“They trust me quite a bit, don’t they?”
“There’s no one at the academy who doesn’t know you’d rather have rare metals or gemstones than be bribed with jewels.”
I wasn’t that simple a person. Even so, I had learned to hold back appropriately by now. Still, that gold-gleaming stone didn’t look like ordinary gold. Should I take it?
“I’m watching.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I had the golem faction remove the decorations that were originally here because I knew you’d eye them. It’s really nothing special, so ask Senior Rodelini.”
So that was why I was seeing it for the first time. The way she spoke so decisively suggested it truly was nothing noteworthy. If it had been useful for golems, the professor would have mentioned it…
Flutter.
“Hm?”
I heard something flying away in a hurry. Looking toward the sound, I saw a perch where white birds were lined up. They were Abathus’s messengers.
“…Something felt familiar…”
The others seemed normal, but one bird stood out unnaturally. Professor Reina called out from behind.
“Eisen?”
“Something feels off. I’ll go check.”
As I walked toward the perches, the birds stared blankly before moving aside. Reina followed, sensing something unusual. Ignoring the faintly unpleasant smell that the air fresheners couldn’t fully suppress, I turned my head this way and that.
‘Chimera Storage…’
A sign stood in a place I would never normally enter. And in the corner of that sign, I spotted a bird covering its own head with its wing.
“…It’s you. The one who likes imperial-style… potatoes?”
“It’s Tart! Potatoes are moooousse!!”
The bird spread its wings in indignation. The white crow I had met before was fuming.