Chapter 49
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Ivela's Resolve
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lunchtime was nearly over.
Having left the cafeteria, Ullan headed toward the forest near the training grounds. It was because Noa had suddenly sought him out and said this.
“Ullan, something's off with Ivela.”
The words came out of nowhere.
Ullan wore a puzzled expression at the abrupt statement. He asked what was going on, but she didn't give any details.
“I don't know the circumstances either, but she was talking to someone, and her face suddenly looked really bad. Like something serious had happened.”
After that brief explanation,
Noa told him where Ivela was.
That was why Ullan had come to the forest.
As he scanned the woods and extended his senses, he soon detected a familiar presence.
'Found her.'
It was Ivela's presence.
She sat on a rock, staring blankly into space. She definitely looked different from usual.
Noa was right—something had happened. Ullan immediately revealed his presence.
“Ivela.”
He called her name, but there was no response.
She just kept staring into space with a dazed expression, seemingly unaware of him. Ullan raised his voice a bit.
“What are you doing out here?”
“...Huh?”
She noticed this time.
His voice had carried enough force to stir up a slight shockwave.
Dust rose from the ground, and light returned to her hazy turquoise eyes.
“Ah.”
She let out a short gasp, then spotted Ullan and gave a faint smile.
“It's you, Ullan.”
Her reaction was definitely different from usual.
It felt like her mind was elsewhere during the conversation. Just as Noa had said, she didn't look well.
So he asked directly.
“Got something on your mind?”
“Huh? Why do you ask?”
“Your face says so.”
Ivela's eyes widened a little.
Then she let out a soft laugh.
“Ahaha. I thought I'd hidden it pretty well, but I guess I can't fool you.”
With that subtle expression,
she stood up.
“Ullan.”
She put on a serious face,
then burst out laughing.
“I'm thinking of forfeiting.”
“Forfeiting?”
“Yeah. Something came up.”
A bitter smile spread across her lips.
Ullan furrowed his brow.
“Heh heh, it's fine. It's not a big deal.”
Ivela shrugged lightly,
as if it were nothing.
Meanwhile, Ullan stared silently at the sword gripped in her hand, not her expression.
Aware or not,
she kept talking.
“Really, it's okay? It's just a personal circumstance. And my condition isn't great right now anyway.”
“...”
Ivela might not realize it herself,
but Ullan knew a bit about her habits.
First, when she felt anxious,
she hid her emotions thoroughly. She acted nonchalant, treating everything as no big deal.
'But...'
Every time, she gripped her sword tightly.
As if it were the only thing she could rely on. As if that's what calmed her heart.
“Besides, it won't matter if one person like me isn't there, right?”
Next, when she said things contrary to her true feelings.
In other words, when she lied.
You couldn't tell from her face alone. Ivela was skilled at masking her expressions, eyes, breathing, and voice.
But there was one thing.
She couldn't hide it.
'The sword.'
When her words didn't match her heart,
the sword she gripped trembled faintly. That meant she was lying nine times out of ten.
Yes, just like now.
“You could make the top 10 easily, and there's Dilia Arpen too...”
“You're still no good at lying.”
Ullan's sudden remark cut her off.
Ivela shut her mouth.
She looked quite flustered. Seeing her eyes tremble with agitation, Ullan explained.
“I can tell from your face.”
“...”
“You didn't look convinced.”
No sooner had he finished,
than she bit her lip slightly. But only for a moment—she forced a smile.
“Well, of course I don't like it. But like I said earlier, circumstances...”
“What circumstances?”
“Just some family matter.”
She hadn't planned to say anything.
But staying silent would only make Ullan unconvinced, so she revealed just a little.
“If I don't forfeit, my family might get in trouble. But it's fine. If I forfeit, everything will be okay...”
“Wrong.”
“Huh, what?”
“You won't be okay.”
His words stabbed like a dagger.
Ivela clamped her mouth shut. That sharp remark tore at her chest, making the emotions she'd barely held back surge wildly.
And one more thing.
Ullan's surprise attack peeled away the mask of composure she'd clung to.
“...I have no choice.”
The emotions she'd suppressed behind the mask
leaked out like a stormy sea. And Ivela had no strength left to stop them.
“If I go to the finals, it'll hurt Mom. What am I supposed to do?!”
“Did your mother tell you that herself?”
“W-what?”
Ullan's question came out of nowhere.
As she faltered in surprise, he fired off questions like rapid-fire.
“Has she ever directly asked you to protect her from something? To keep her safe?”
“That's...”
“Has she ever said she's in trouble because of you? Told you not to act rashly?”
“...”
She couldn't answer.
There had never been anything like that.
“Do you really think deciding on your own, without even asking your mother directly, is what's best for her?”
“...Then what should I do?”
As the sharp words poured out,
Ivela gritted her teeth.
Her mask was already off. The torrent of emotions she'd harbored raged fiercely.
“You want me to ignore that it'll hurt Mom and just go to the finals anyway? Would that really put my mind at ease?!”
“Of course it wouldn't.”
“Then why...!”
“I never said not to forfeit.”
Ivela fell silent.
Now that she thought about it, he was right.
Ullan had only told her to be honest with herself. He hadn't tried to stop her choice or decision.
“Whatever you choose, I have no right to deny you. But as a friend, I just hope you make a choice without regrets.”
His crimson eyes looked at her.
Serious, gleaming eyes. She could feel they thought only of her.
Was that why?
The moment their eyes met, the raging torrent of emotions began to subside. Her feverish head cooled bit by bit.
As she felt her heart calming,
“Let me ask once more.”
Ullan spoke up.
It was the same question as before.
“Does your mother want your protection?”
“...”
“If so, forfeit by all means. But if you're not sure, think about what your mother truly wants from you.”
That was all he had to say.
The rest was up to Ivela.
So Ullan closed his mouth.
Meanwhile, at that moment,
Ivela suddenly recalled something from the past.
Well, not that long ago.
Just a few months back,
when she left Deorg County for the Arsen Academy entrance exam.
The weather had been just as gloomy as today.
After bidding farewell to her mother, she turned to leave. But she stopped again. A sudden surge of emotion hit her.
Just one last time.
Let me look at Mom once more. As she turned her gaze,
“Don't look back!”
A sharp voice rang out.
Startled, Ivela froze. And rightly so—it was unbelievable that this came from her always gentle, kind mother.
“Keep walking forward. Don't stop.”
Ivela's mother, Idellin Elead.
Unlike usual, her voice carried strong power as she shouted firmly.
“Everything behind you is of no help to the current you.”
At the time, she didn't understand what her mother meant. She didn't try to.
She felt hurt and disappointed by the cold tone, so different from normal. As she hesitated to move,
“It's okay, Ivela. No need to worry.”
A warm voice came again.
It was the mother's voice Ivela remembered.
“Mom will watch over you from behind. From now on, abandon the past, the family—live only for yourself. That's all I want.”
A memory buried in the sorrow of parting.
Recalling her mother's words made Ivela's turquoise eyes well up quickly.
'Right... that's how it was.'
What her mother truly wanted.
It wasn't protection from the family's oppression. It was simply for Ivela to live a life for herself. Nothing more.
The moment she remembered that,
a new emotion surged up. Different from the whirlwind before.
Then,
“Ivela.”
Ullan spoke again.
In his usual serious tone.
“We're friends.”
Setting aside ties from past lives.
Ullan and Ivela had exchanged names and fought together in the Hero's Trial. That's how they became friends. At least, that's what Ullan thought.
“Friends help each other with everything they've got when trouble arises. Maybe not here, but on the plains, that's how it is.”
Heavy footsteps approached.
A large hand extended toward her.
“So if you're in trouble, tell me.”
His other hand held his axe.
Ullan spoke with sincerity.
“I'll help.”
Simple words, no fancy rhetoric.
But that one promise to help comforted her more than anything else.
Perhaps from the relief, the tears pooling in Ivela's eyes fell like dew.
“...Thank you.”
Full of honest emotion and truth,
Ivela barely managed to reply. But that was it. She didn't take his hand, standing on her own power.
“It's okay, though. This is my problem.”
Instead, she gripped her sword.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, then bowed her head to Ullan.
“Sorry, Ullan.”
For showing such an unseemly side.
For snapping at you when you did nothing wrong.
Ullan silently accepted her sincere apology. At that moment, a bell tolled from afar. The signal that the finals were about to start.
Hearing it,
Ivela made her decision.
“Forget about the forfeit.”
Her eyes shone with firm resolve.
Seeing the gaze of someone who'd chosen to be true to herself, Ullan grinned.
It was finally the look he knew.
And so, they headed to the arena.
Ivela walked beside Ullan. The sword in her hand no longer trembled.
2:00 PM sharp.
The preliminary finals began.
With countless students and professors watching,
Mattel Bornus, eldest son of the Bornus Count family, who was in the first match, was going mad.
Clang! Scraaaape!
There was only one reason.
The girl opposite him was swinging her sword with ferocious momentum.
'What the hell? What's going on?!'
Storm-like sword strikes.
Mattel was too busy defending against the thrusts aimed at his vitals to counterattack.
'Th-this isn't what we agreed on!'
When the finals bracket was announced,
someone had approached Mattel suddenly.
His classmate, Himmel Deorg. Famous as a swordsmanship genius, he'd made this proposal out of the blue.
“I'll make sure your opponent, Ivela Elead, forfeits. In return, if you make the top 10 later, help me become the leader.”
No reason to refuse.
At least not for Mattel. His skill was just at the tail end of beginner.
Ivela was different.
She had long broken through the beginner wall, reaching low-grade knight level. Her swordsmanship was precise and perfect too.
In other words, if they fought as is, Mattel would lose for sure.
So he accepted immediately.
But contrary to what he'd heard, Ivela didn't forfeit. Instead, she fought full-force, determined to beat him.
'Damn it! Himmel!'
Eyes bloodshot with rage.
As Mattel glared at the stands,
Claaaang!
A sharp clash rang out, and his sword flew into the air.
“Kugh!”
His hand trembled from the shock of losing his grip.
Mattel gritted his teeth.
Even so, his gaze went not to Ivela, but to the stands where Himmel was. Rage at him for breaking the promise.
“Stop! That's enough!”
“First match, winner: Ivela Elead!”
With the match decided, Ivela sheathed her sword.
It slid cleanly into its scabbard.
She gave Mattel a slight bow, then left the arena promptly. Around then, eyes were fixed on Ivela.
“Did we have a student like that in our department?”
“She fought better than expected.”
“Yeah. Her swordsmanship is incredibly stable, and her senses are pretty sharp too.”
“Looks like she broke the beginner wall ages ago.”
“Haha, that's why prelims are fun every year. Hidden talents like her pop up sometimes.”
The military department professors.
They observed Ivela with sparkling eyes. A mix of interest, curiosity, and anticipation.
And at that time,
one person stared piercingly at Ivela, just like the professors. Though the emotions in his eyes differed.
'That damn bitch!'
A young man with a twisted face.
Himmel Deorg. He glared murderously at Ivela as she left the arena.
'Fine, you wanna play it that way?'
He had plans too.
Himmel bit his lip hard, swallowing his anger. Thinking he'd soon make Ivela regret it and beat the ground.
Meanwhile, another gaze watched him. A girl with neatly braided black hair hanging down.
Noa.
'I can tell what he's thinking just from his eyes.'
Probably planning some retaliation against Ivela for ignoring the order to forfeit.
'But I won't let that happen.'
Noa's eyes turned cold.
Since she'd decided to help, she'd do it thoroughly.
'Should I at least curse him?'
She was a shaman specialized in curses.
She reached for a nail and hammer, but sadly, she couldn't follow through.
“Second match starting soon!”
“Noa Darshen! Dilia Arpen! Forward!”
Her name was called suddenly.
The first match ended quicker than expected, so it was already her turn. Noa slumped her shoulders.
'Ugh, I really don't want to.'
Why do I have to fight Dilia?
Of all people, the monster who's supposed to become the world's strongest mage! As she sighed repeatedly, venting her reluctance,
Tap tap!
A large hand patted her back.
It was Ullan.
“Do your best.”
A word of encouragement followed. Surprised by the unexpected support, Noa widened her eyes.
“Huh, that's unexpected.”
“What is?”
“I figured you'd root for Dilia.”
But he's cheering for me?
As she looked at him curiously, Ullan replied nonchalantly.
“I told her the same.”
“What?”
Noa furrowed her brow.
Cheering for both? What's he thinking?
As she pouted at him, Noa suddenly grinned mischievously.
“Ullan, one question.”
“What?”
“Between me and Dilia, who do you want to win? Be honest.”
Noa gave him a sly look.
Her eyes held a subtle expectation.
Ullan, however, responded trivially.
“Doesn't matter who.”
“...Huh?”
“The stronger one will win.”
A perfunctory answer.
Noa pursed her lips. But she didn't argue. It wasn't wrong.
“Sigh, got it. I'll be off then.”
She stood up
and headed to the arena.
Gazing at distant Dilia, she mulled over Ullan's words.
'The stronger one wins.'
True enough.
And in that sense, Noa Darshen couldn't beat Dilia Arpen. Their talents were similar, but everything else differed.
Just looking at mana reserves, Dilia had at least double. No way to win, even calculating every angle.
'And she doesn't have heavy penalties.'
Unlike Noa, burdened with 'Frailty' and 'Poor Stamina', Dilia's penalties had no relation to combat.
If this were a game,
Noa would lose for sure.
'But...'
This place wasn't a game.
A reality where you breathed and felt pain. So Noa had a slim chance.
And one more thing.
Noa had 'information'.
'She doesn't know me.'
Probably thinks of her as just a shaman from the barbarian tribes, like Ullan.
Noa was different. She knew a ton about Dilia.
'Because...'
Back when she was a gamer,
she'd played as Dilia Arpen, if only briefly.
So she knew everything about Dilia.
Traits, habits, magic, combat style, and even why she spoke in that frustratingly curt manner.
'And finally.'
She had an ace up her sleeve.
A technique only Noa could pull off.
She'd even skipped lunch to prepare tactics effective against Dilia.
'Anyway, no plans to lose easily.'
Noa had to enter the mock battle.
There was a hidden piece there.
Her eyes sparkling, she finally stepped into the arena. As she exchanged glances with Dilia opposite,
“Combat begin!”
The second match curtain rose.