Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Not a Legend, but Legend (7)
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# 103
11. Not a Legend, but Legend (7)
#7 Their Circumstances: Lia El Nermia's Circumstances.
“What the heck kind of academy is Yuglasia?”
After forming an alliance with Arsia, we'd dispatched people to cooperate with each other.
In that situation, having been swept up in Arsia's vanguard unit, I muttered to myself as I watched Yuglasia's student council president literally mowing down their own students up front.
“Yeah….”
And one of the students dispatched to Arsia from our side, just like me, nodded blankly while staring at the scene.
Good thing. For a second there, I thought I'd gotten too used to the Evil Organization vibe and couldn't adjust to society anymore.
“Well, it's something to be happy about, right?”
Yuglasia's student council president was strong.
She had a track record of single-handedly neutralizing Arsia's main force by summoning the Spirit King, and right now, she was crushing the fierce resistance from Yuglasia students using high-level and mid-level spirits tailored to their opponents' affinities.
“They say turning the enemy's greatest asset into an ally has double the effect….”
What was this sticky feeling?
“She's not gonna stab us in the back now, is she? I heard she already backstabbed her own boyfriend.”
“Oh, I heard that was a misunderstanding. She's stepping up like this now to clear it up….”
“Really?”
I stared blankly at the fight.
Strong, yet never careless.
Not only did she switch spirits to match the opponents' attributes while attacking, but she even followed up with finishing blows until the downed foes were carted off to the infirmary.
No matter how much weaker they were, never letting your guard down was incredibly tough.
It was something the instructors at Howling always drilled into us, but seeing as I'd gotten caught off guard myself, that perfect follow-up kill was definitely something worth learning from.
Especially since there were too many enemies for her to handle alone, the way she dragged over a few Arsia students to gang up on one Yuglasia student with their swords was such a textbook example of a finishing blow that it made me question if she really was Yuglasia's student council president.
“What a weird academy.”
Even if it was to clear up a misunderstanding with her boyfriend, betraying the students who trusted her couldn't have been an easy choice.
Why did it look so natural?
“Lady Lia, she's openly declaring war on Yuglasia now.”
“Is it a deception? An enemy ploy to trick us? Otherwise, no way she'd pull something this insane.”
No matter how many outlandish things I'd experienced, I just couldn't get used to this.
“No way, right?”
I let out a sigh at No. 1000—er, Hail Reia's words, as she tilted her head with that knowing look.
“Hey, Thou—um, Hail Reia?”
Her face scrunched up for a split second, so I quickly corrected myself, and only then did she revert to her usual dopey expression.
“You seem to know something. Mind sharing?”
After reuniting, I'd grilled her hard enough to get her to confess all the way up to receiving orders from Her Highness the Imperial Princess to come here, but she wouldn't spill the details.
Said if she broke the secret, three items from the menu would be gone….
No idea what kind of food she got under Her Highness, but it turned No. 1000's mouth into an unbreachable vault, leaving me no choice but to give up.
Don't give me that 'I know everything!' smug face!
You're not the type to make that face, are you? You were supposed to be the dopey one!
What the hell was it?
“That's a secret.”
“You just read my mind, didn't you?”
“As if, Lady Nermia. People are staring weirdly.”
“Ugh.”
She turned away with a prim expression, and over there were the other Marsis students giving me awkward looks.
Whispers about how I seemed close to this stranger, or how it was a bit different from my usual self—all of it reached my ears.
“Well then, Lady Nermia. I think it's about time we moved out too.”
Was this the power of imperial cuisine? No. 1000, who never took the lead, was steering the situation.
Impressive, imperial cuisine!
“Die, student council president!”
“Gah, Lady Aris?!”
Far off, a crimson sword beam clashed with lightning.
It was made for the Imperial Tournament, they said, but it still shattered a stone rampart.
“Do we... really have to go there?”
Just looking at it halted my feet automatically.
Even Arsia students could only gawk dumbfoundedly as a clash beyond student level erupted.
Sword beams flying, Spirit King rampaging—a scene totally unfit for the festive Imperial Tournament!
“We have to. You want to win the Imperial Tournament, right?”
“Not really anymore….”
This year's Yuglasia had the firepower to beat anyone.
To the point where I, who'd scored two solo wins against them, was being hailed as impressive.
So honestly, I didn't need the championship anymore.
No way did I want to dive into a scene like that!
“Then forget it.”
But No. 1000, bought off by imperial cuisine, showed me no mercy.
“Do I have to fight right there? Is that Her Highness's order?”
“Not exactly, but Her Highness would think poorly of Lady Nermia showing weakness.”
“Her Highness?”
“No, the instructor?”
“W-What?!”
I hunched over instinctively, scanning the surroundings.
In my ear, the instructor's voice raged: *Scared of some greenhorn kids outside?*
And for good measure, the whoosh of what sounded like a wooden stick slicing the air—my hallucination, yet weirdly realistic.
“Caught ya?”
Last I heard, even the legendary Imperial Princess was after the instructor.
If even a tenth of the rumors were true, he'd have been nabbed by the palace already.
And as a VIP guest watching this, seeing my defeatist antics...
*'My training was lacking. Shouldn't have left it to Lane.... Yes, this is the true power of a real bat!'*
...She might drag me to the palace for training.
Scary. The instructor seemed totally capable of it, which made it terrifying.
“He hasn't been caught. Not yet.”
Luckily, my fantasy stayed just that—a fantasy.
Still dodging the Imperial Princess's grasp? Classic instructor...
“Hang on, 'not yet'? Sounds like it'll happen real soon.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“And you're talking like he's already watching me?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“'Yeah, probably'—can you say something else?”
“Yeah, no.”
Even as I yelled, No. 1000 just shook her head and pointed to the spot where five lightning bolts had just struck.
“Go fight.”
“Damn it….”
Ugh. I don't wanna fight. But if the instructor's watching from somewhere, that's different.
“Fine, then.”
*-'Fine, then'? No way! Master needs to treat me better!*
I summoned Surtr, who seemed to have fully grasped his fate, from afar.
“Raaagh!”
“3 seconds….”
Watching the fire giant vanish after taking a sword beam from Yuglasia's Aris in just three seconds, I bit my lip and gathered my mana.
“Just in case... I'll pretend to fight hard.”
Magic coursed through my body like a second skin.
Tap. Tap.
“Faster, even faster.”
I hopped lightly, enchanting my legs.
What I wanted was speed beyond the wind.
No need for mana shields against sword beams that tore through magic barriers like paper.
Best counter to sword beams? Evasion.
Swordmasters prized not using sword beams as their greatest virtue, given the massive mana drain.
So evasion—drawing out the opponent's mana without spending mine—was their natural predator.
I'd proven it in two prior battles, and few could match my speed anyway.
Only those borrowing divine power like Loki or Hermes could outpace me.
“Faster, even faster.”
I ramped up my speed further.
Against a Swordmaster, a mage could only rely on speed and reflexes for evasion.
“Alright, let's go.”
I poured all my mana into maxing my speed to reaction limits.
Now I could trust my skills and No. 1000's.
Both trained under that instructor!
“Yeah, good luck.”
“Hang on, why're you waving me off from there? Aren't you coming too?”
But skills need action to matter!
No. 1000, who'd sent me to a battlefield offering zero gains, just waved from behind.
“Hail Reia is weak.”
“No, you're Hail Reia your—”
“Hello? I'm... Hail Reia?”
“Drop the half-assed concept already? You want me to charge in alone?”
Yuglasia reinforcements had arrived now, blasting away the hesitant Arsia students around.
Even with their student council president as an ally, she'd solo'd a whole castle—prolonged fight would favor them.
Best path to victory: me block Aris, No. 1000 handle the rest. But she wouldn't ditch the Hail Reia act.
“Hail Reia is weak.”
“Keep that up and... I won't fight either?”
“Hmm... then this.”
After pondering my words, No. 1000 pulled something from her pocket and shoved it into my hand.
“What's... this?”
I frowned at the small white note.
My instincts screamed: don't check it.
Staring at the ominously glowing paper once, then at the blankly watching No. 1000 once, I reluctantly unfolded it.
[Do as this girl says. Imperial decree. - The Princess]
“Shoulda known not to open it!”
Instead of crumpling the note, I clutched my head and flopped down right there.
Damn it, tiny paper with the imperial crest.
And the issuer's seal beside it.
Rip it, and I'd be nabbed for imperial insult on the spot.
“Why the hell do you have something like this in your pocket?”
“She gave it for work? Want one?”
Did No. 1000 even grasp this paper's value?
Seeing more identical notes poke from her pocket, I swallowed a curse and tried handing it back.
“Take this... back...”
“Huh? It's an imperial decree? You refusing?”
“What's with that smug face? What happened in the last year to change you like this?”
The No. 1000 I knew wasn't like this!
Dopey, innocent, living for food—that was her!
“Hmm... because of imperial food?”
“Amazing, the imperial kitchens! Changing someone this much!”
I'd skipped out of laziness, but now I wanted to attend the next palace-hosted party just for the grub.
“So... do your best~♡”
“Quit the cutesy talk—it doesn't suit you!”
She even blew me a heart. No trace left of the No. 1000 I knew.
*'Hope No. 1 isn't like this too?'*
If so, I'd swear to kill No. 1 and dash toward Aris, top priority target—
“No way I can go, huh?”
Before I could head to support the student council president versus Aris, a group in black cloaks blocked my path...
“Hang on, who are you guys? Rules say you gotta wear your academy uniforms.”
“We are... apostles of justice, here solely to slay the traitor Nerkia for the world's sake!”
“Yeah, got it.”
Only a few at Yuglasia could catch my top speed.
And among them, only one would spout madness like that.
“Student council vice president, Lisen—”
“To see through us—you truly are Marsis's ultimate weapon, the one who repelled Lady Aris.”
A massive scythe burst from thin air, black-clad figures surrounding me. I could only sigh.
“This... is gonna suck.”
Even without their brainiac student council president, Yuglasia was plenty strong.