Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: 12. Until It's Over, It's Not Over (6)
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# 117
#10 Their Circumstances: Karen Rel Legrena's Circumstances.
“Huuu….”
I let out a deep sigh and looked around.
Just moments ago, the flashing lights had vanished, and everyone around had disappeared.
“Not much time left now.”
It had been two hours since we’d captured all of Mercaria’s castles and begun our assault on Marsis.
No matter how weak they were, conquering nine castles—defended by enemies no less—was no small feat.
“But….”
What remained was Marsis’s home base.
A place teeming with countless magic traps.
That wasn’t what worried me, though.
“They’d better have done it properly….”
Anxiety gnawed at me.
Sending Risens off with just a hundred spirit summoners under those bizarre conditions felt all wrong.
Honestly, losing a hundred spirit summoners wouldn’t cost us our momentum.
But the twelve who’d gone ahead first…
They were all elite summoners.
Lady Aris in particular—and as much as I hated to admit it—Risens represented Yuglasia’s strongest forces, the ones who could turn the tide of battle.
They were our most reliable assets, but…
“It’s Risens leading them….”
The fact that Risens, bound to me by a long history of bad blood, was in charge made it impossible not to worry.
“Damn it, I was too shortsighted.”
I’d sent Risens purely to screw over the president, without thinking beyond taking him down.
Risens, the Trickster!
She had a natural talent for deceiving others.
That talent had evolved even further after contracting with the god Loki.
That alone was bad enough, but then she learned all sorts of bizarre techniques from a senior at Yuglasia.
Ways to sneak into changing rooms undetected, or unlock any lock with a single wire… In other words, skills perfect for crime!
And as the final nail in the coffin…
“She even met Professor Niserwin….”
The ultimate disaster of a being had been born.
The kind of creature that, for the sake of world peace, we might need to eliminate pronto.
“No contact either….”
The sun was beginning to set.
In another three or four hours—maybe a bit more—the match would end.
Yuglasia currently held ten castles: the ones the president had stolen back under our control.
Add all of Mercaria’s castles for another ten.
Including nine from Marsis excluding their home base made twenty-nine in total.
That came to 2,900 points.
Even if we went on the defensive for the remaining time, holding half would secure Yuglasia’s victory no problem.
“Please, just don’t betray us….”
But one wildcard remained.
Risens’s betrayal.
A year ago, it would’ve sounded absurd, but with the student council president—the students’ top authority—having already betrayed us…
The king of betrayals, Risens, had no reason to betray us, but none not to either.
What if the president tempted her with the promise of introducing her to a girl?
Could I swear Risens wouldn’t fall for it?
“No way.”
It was Risens.
Risens, with her long resume of betrayals at Yuglasia.
Even as student council vice president, she prioritized personal gain over the students or academy.
She could ditch our victory just because she’d graduate next year anyway.
“At the very least… we need to steal back about half of Arsia’s castles.”
But I couldn’t give up.
As vice president, I felt a duty to the academy’s future… no, to the students’ futures!
“Reinforce defenses on the Arsia front. Even if Risens and the others return, don’t let your guard down—pass that along.”
“The vice president betrayed us again?”
“No, but she might.”
“Got it.”
I sent back the executive who’d come with me and mentally reviewed the remaining fronts.
Comparing fallen castles to each academy’s headcount showed a clear gap.
Arsia was surely concentrating their forces for a knockout blow.
“Put all illusion-type summons on attack standby. Send every spirit summoner and anyone with area attacks to the castles near Arsia for defense prep.”
“Won’t that leave us too shorthanded?”
“You’re right, Karen. Didn’t we already assign people to the castles we took while pushing Marsis?”
“If we pull more from here, even we couldn’t take Marsis’s home base.”
“Prepared mages are a nightmare.”
Mages had plenty of weaknesses.
Weak in close combat.
Long casting times.
Defenseless while focusing to cast.
And countless more.
The magic engineer class was born to cover those flaws by sacrificing power for speed and physical prowess—mages were weakness incarnate.
Yet mages existed because of one thing.
Sheer destructive firepower.
A prepared mage’s strike could overwhelm even a swordmaster.
No need for more words.
Just taking nine castles had felled over a hundred Yuglasia students, hardened by the Silver Devil.
But no choice.
Among the student council’s top execs, I seemed to be the only one purely gunning for victory.
“I’ll handle that.”
So I had to.
It was my way of repaying the students who’d elected me vice president.
“Vice President….”
“Sis, you’re so cool….”
“Sniff… To think our student council had a sane exec….”
They all looked at me with eyes full of respect and admiration.
Basking in it, I stood and summoned my familiar.
“Celeraid.”
“Kraaaang!”
A massive drake—called a dragon’s descendant—roared into existence before me.
“You’ve still got it in you, right?”
“Kraaaang!”
Celeraid was covered in wounds from breaking through two Mercaria castles and seven from Marsis, but she bowed her head with a confident cry.
“Good. Once this is over… no more Silver Devil!”
“Kwaaaaaang! Kraaaang!”
Celeraid threw her head back and bellowed at the sky.
Too big to summon indoors, she’d still blocked corridors several times and taken hits from the Silver Devil.
Realizing victory meant no more nightmare shifts, the students began summoning their own familiars as Celeraid roared in triumph.
“I’ll breach from the sky. Once their attacks focus on me, smash the gates and sweep them!”
“Yes!”
Over a hundred summoners mounted their familiars and moved out.
Watching them, I climbed onto Celeraid’s back, spear in hand, and took to the skies.
“Come on, hit me in the back all you want.”
No more external wildcards.
Victory in the Imperial Tournament would come down to how hard our own allies backstabbed us.
And we…
Thanks to Professor Niserwin’s teachings, we’d learned to stay calm even if allies stabbed us in the back.
Watching the sun dip below the horizon, we pressed toward victory.
#11 Their Circumstances: Aris Lil Retia’s Circumstances.
“Ugh… Are you seriously insane?”
The heavy sensation creeping up my wrist drew a sharp retort from me.
We’d had the win in the bag.
Arsia’s home base was already half-destroyed by the spirit summoners’ strikes.
The vice president had even become Loki’s incarnation and nearly taken down the president.
All that was left was mopping up the remnants with the hundred spirit summoners to claim the castle.
So why had things turned out like this?
“Power of the earth.”
Recovered somehow, the president was using an earth spirit to drag my ankle into the ground.
“Hah!”
“Ugh… The president and vice president, those bastards!”
A massive scythe sliced through the air, shearing off a few strands of my hair.
Yes. The enemies were the president and vice president.
Not Arsia’s or Marsis’s, but our own Yuglasia president and vice president!
“That girl… I said I’d introduce you!”
I unleashed sword auras from both blades, shouting, but the response was ice-cold.
“Someone with a lover is more trustworthy than someone without….”
“Ugh….”
I bit my lip and yanked my foot free from the dirt.
“Oh my, how scary.”
My icy glare turned backward, met by a woman feigning surprise.
‘Damn it all….’
She was the root of this mess.
About ten minutes earlier.
As two swordswomen lunged to protect the president, the vice president had been dodging in panic.
“Ari, Renya. Hold up. He’s flustered.”
“Sis?”
“That’s not sis!”
The woman in Mercaria’s uniform had appeared out of nowhere, beaming.
“Hello, Risens de Loa. Or should I say Trickster Risens fits better now?”
She curtsied gracefully, skirt hem in hand, and the vice president nodded blankly.
“I’m Iana Mel Rudratian of Mercaria.”
Her beaming smile revealed a name: one of the president’s lovers, the Queen of Mercaria.
“Ugh….”
Did she sense the vice president’s glare intensifying?
“Oh dear, don’t glare at my love like that.”
With a slight step, she blocked the vice president’s view, gazing at the president with pure affection.
“Sis….”
“Don’t worry.”
Stroking the president’s hair tenderly, she turned to the vice president.
“I didn’t train with swords like my two sisters here. Nor do I have Ain’s magic talent, who’s absent now. But I did learn something.”
A bad feeling hit me instantly.
What was this filthy premonition?
As I pondered, quiet admiration escaped me.
‘Ah!’
It was that itchy-back-of-the-neck dread.
The exact feeling after executing one of Professor Niserwin’s plans at Yuglasia!
“What I learned was negotiation. So I propose this to you.”
“Vice president, don’t listen…”
But realization came too late.
I yelled as she spoke, but her words were already out.
“I’ll help you get a lover. Even if it fails. Until I graduate. Every weekend, I’ll introduce you to Mercaria girls.”
“R-Really?”
I ground my teeth as the vice president’s eyes lit up.
“Damn it, everyone—take out the president and vice president!”
I’d sensed the betrayal vibe.
Snarling at the spirit summoners surrounding me, but…
“Ah….”
Turning my head, I realized.
One emotion gleamed in their eyes.
Expectancy.
“Of course… you all too.”
Meeting her sly smile sent chills down my spine.
“Hey….”
“Hm? Me?”
I quietly called to Lady Nermia beside me.
The only ally I could trust now—ironically terrified of Professor Niserwin.
“Fight the president and vice president, or a hundred spirit summoners…?”
“What’re you talking about?”
She tilted her head in confusion. I bit my lip hard and growled under my breath.
“What do you think… Everyone around us is the enemy now.”
My words barely ended when a voice whispered in my ear, as if waiting.
“One condition only. Just…”
“Spirit summoners, a hundred of you—do it!”
With preemptive zeal, I formed sword beams in my dual blades and charged the vice president as the devil’s whisper spread to Yuglasia’s students.
“For our victory… take down Lady Retia!”
As the betrayer’s voice echoed, Yuglasia’s infamous tradition of betrayal reared its head once more at the Imperial Tournament.