Chapter 59
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Why Are You Coming Out From There?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A deep night with the moon shrouded by clouds.
A group was making its way through the silent forest.
About twenty people in total.
They were armed with swords and shields. At the center of the group was a black-haired girl clutching a book covered in talismans—Noa.
'Ugh... how did things end up like this?'
Just an hour ago,
Noa had been in the library.
She had teamed up with Ivela to drive off the White Wolf's clone and protected Librarian Erwan. Of course, half the reading room had been destroyed in the process.
'And then...'
She ran into Professor Ethan outside the library.
He had evacuated the freshmen and immediately asked Noa and Ivela for their help. When Ivela accepted, they ended up accompanying him.
Ethan had sharp instincts.
He had instantly realized the culprit behind this attack was in the eastern forest. So he gathered people right away and headed there.
Noa was one of them.
That much was fine. With the White Wolf freed from its seal, extermination was the only option.
'But...'
Ullan and Dilia were missing.
That fact gnawed at her. But the anxiety was short-lived as Noa quickly clung to a sliver of hope.
'Maybe they'll show up soon?'
The White Wolf's attacks were centered around the eastern forest.
And most of the buildings nearby were used by freshmen.
By now, Ullan and Dilia had probably noticed the assault and were heading to the forest.
'Then it'll be okay.'
Even if they didn't join right away, as long as they linked up before facing the White Wolf. As she nursed that hope and wrapped up her thoughts,
Tap! Thud!
Noa's body was gradually shoved sideways.
There was only one reason. Someone kept bumping into her shoulder. Who the hell...? Noa glared at the culprit.
It was an unexpected person.
"Ivela?"
"...?!"
No sooner had she called the name,
than Ivela's shoulder trembled violently.
She was clearly startled. The stronger reaction than expected left Noa even more flustered.
"S-Sorry. Didn't think you'd be that surprised."
"Ugh... uuugh."
She had only said her name,
yet Ivela let out a whimpering sound and clung tightly to Noa's arm. Quick on the uptake, Noa pieced it together.
"Are you scared of ghosts or something?"
"...Swords don't work on ghosts."
It was spot on.
Though the reason for her fear was a bit unusual. Surprised by this side of her, Noa chuckled.
"It's fine. We've got a shaman here—what's there to worry about?"
"...What do spirits have to do with ghosts?"
"Everything. Shamans handle evil spirits, which are basically like ghosts."
In other words, she could deal with ghosts.
Of course, Noa meant it as reassurance, but Ivela seemed to take it differently.
"Th-Then does that mean you... handle ghosts too...?"
"Yeah. Even these talismans on this book are all infused with evil spirits."
Handling evil spirits was child's play for her.
So even if a ghost showed up, she'd take care of it—no need to worry. That was what Noa intended to say. But Ivela's reaction was the opposite.
Shh! Shhh!
Ivela put distance between them,
her face paling noticeably. She had clearly misunderstood something. Noa gave an awkward smile.
'She's got a surprisingly human side.'
The Ivela from the original story hadn't been this multifaceted. She was always masked, slicing through enemies like a machine.
As Noa savored the fresh feeling,
Rustle!
The bushes ahead shook.
Ivela jumped back in alarm.
The swordsmen, including Ethan, halted as one, bracing for a possible ambush. But what emerged was a group of people.
"Professor Arnopf?"
Ethan even recognized them.
His eyes widened in turn.
"Vice-Captain Roen? What are you doing here...?"
Roen Filawd, vice-captain of the Arsen Guard.
After the sudden encounter, Ethan and Roen exchanged accounts of what had happened and why they were heading into the forest.
"I see. You tracked the source of the mana..."
"Same here. We followed the wolves that attacked the library and ended up here."
As they shared information,
Noa's eyes sparkled. She spotted a familiar face in Roen's group. A silver-haired girl yawning lazily.
'Dilia's here too!'
Now there were three named characters.
Ullan was still absent, which was a shame, but this was more than enough to take on the White Wolf.
'But why is Cirpi here?'
Cirpi Rudric.
A suspicious figure presumed to have some connection to the White Wolf, kin of Rudric. Noa eyed her warily.
Then,
Cirpi suddenly spoke up.
"O-Over there! I think I saw a huge wolf deep in that direction."
"Hm? A huge wolf?"
"Well, actually..."
For Ethan's benefit, who was out of the loop, Roen relayed what Cirpi had told him.
A massive wolf deep in the forest, using mist to spawn countless other wolves.
The moment Noa heard that,
her eyes narrowed.
'...Cirpi knows about the White Wolf.'
And quite accurately, too.
Noa recalled her speculation from the reading room.
Cirpi Rudric was a heretic from the desert cult, possibly enrolled at the academy to tame the White Wolf.
Her origins didn't matter much.
But her goal was impossible to ignore. It was the polar opposite of Noa's.
'The White Wolf can't be tamed.'
It had to be exterminated.
That was the only way to get the hidden reward.
Especially its heart—a mana core of immense value. Properly refined and consumed, it could double her mana capacity.
'And its soul would be useful too.'
Extracting and binding the White Wolf's soul would elevate her shaman rank by two levels, unlocking far stronger spells.
She had no intention of yielding it.
As Noa's eyes gleamed,
"Moving out again!"
the group resumed their advance.
Toward the direction Cirpi indicated.
How long had they walked? Along the way, peculiar sights caught their eyes. Massive stakes uprooted and scattered on the ground.
"What are these stakes...?"
"Looks like something was sealed here."
Sealing stakes. Ethan guessed their purpose at a glance and turned away, aware that some 'dangerous entity' had broken free.
Not long after,
the group reached the forest's heart.
A cave entrance came into view. An ominous power emanated from within.
Roen immediately furrowed his brow.
"...Immense mana."
"What's inside there...?"
Ethan nodded in agreement.
Powerful mana flowed from the cave, strong enough to make their body hair stand on end.
But they couldn't just leave it.
At Roen's command, the group moved stealthily, forming a perimeter.
"Approach slowly on my signal."
Roen, at the front, stepped forward.
The group narrowed the distance on his cue.
But at that moment,
a roar echoed from the cave.
Boom! Kwang! Kwaaang!
Sounds of something being smashed. The group froze at the sudden noise.
After a not-insubstantial time,
the racket gradually died down. It wasn't just the noise—the mana was fading fast too.
"The mana...!"
An incomprehensible phenomenon. But the puzzlement was fleeting; Roen quickly regained his composure. Investigating the cave would clear it up soon enough.
As he prepared to order another advance,
Thud! Crumble!
The dirt piled at the cave mouth stirred.
As if something inside was trying to emerge.
"Everyone, hold position."
Roen gripped his sword at the ominous sign.
He wasn't alone. Dilia at the rear condensed star mana instantly, and Noa floated talismans into the air.
Shing!
Ivela half-drew her sword.
Tension hung thick in the air.
As they swallowed dryly without thinking, the dirt finally collapsed completely.
And moments later,
the group's thoughts ground to a halt.
"...Huh?"
One reason only. The one emerging from the cave was utterly unexpected.
A man clutching axes in both hands.
A bare-chested barbarian. And there was only one person at the academy who dressed like that.
"U-Ullan?!"
No, why are you coming out of there?
Noa shouted in shock.
"Why are you here...?"
Ivela was just as flustered.
The rest of the group showed similar bewilderment. As everyone stood frozen in surprise, one person regained calm fastest.
"...Ullan Bator."
The man strode forward.
Roen Filawd, vice-captain of the guard.
"I heard you were suspended and confined to the dorms. Why are you here?"
A piercing gaze accompanied the question.
It wasn't hard to answer. He planned to respond casually.
But at that instant,
"Ullan!"
Someone barged in.
Cirpi.
"D-Did you happen to see a huge wolf inside? White fur, enormous one!"
Her face anxious and desperate.
Ullan nodded affirmatively.
"Saw it."
"Wh-What happened to it...?"
"I killed it."
"...Pardon?"
It wasn't a lie.
The White Wolf as a magic beast was gone.
Facing the dazed Cirpi, Ullan pointed into the cave.
"Don't believe me? Go check."
Seeing the spiritualized White Wolf would make it clear.
No sooner had he spoken than Cirpi kicked off the ground and dashed in. Noa hurriedly followed.
"Dangerous! Come back!"
Roen shouted a warning, but the girls ignored him. Each driven by their own motives, they scoured the cave.
But nothing turned up.
Only traces of a massive, mana-radiating presence remained.
"No way... did you really...?"
The White Wolf was one of the phantom beasts from the ancient deserts, vanishing into mist upon death—hence it was called the 'Mist Wolf'.
And now,
the cave held only traces of the White Wolf—no corpse.
Which meant Ullan's words were true.
"Ha, haha. Ahaha!"
It's over. Everything's ruined!
The hollow laugh of utter resignation echoed emptily through the cave. Then Noa finally took in the scene belatedly.
No corpse, not even a mana core.
Panicking, she rushed outside.
And yelled at Ullan.
"Ullan! Did you not see a mana core?!"
"Nope."
"Just in case—did you maybe smash it...?"
"Could've."
With that perfunctory reply,
Noa collapsed onto the ground.
As if struck by shocking words. And rightly so. She had missed a hidden reward right in front of her eyes.
Noa and Cirpi.
As the two girls despaired,
the wolf attack on the academy abruptly concluded.
10.
After confirming the White Wolf's subjugation,
Ullan briefly explained what happened in the cave since the mist appeared.
But as the story dragged, he skipped the parts about the spiritualized White Wolf, the Gluttony Axe, and Gula. Everything felt like too much hassle now.
"That's everything I went through."
Ending with entering the cave, fighting the huge wolf, and winning, Ullan wrapped up.
No one questioned it.
"...I see."
Roen nodded.
He seemed to accept it, more or less.
"Got it. We'll investigate the details back at the guard post."
Roen stood.
But his gaze on Ullan held no goodwill.
And for good reason.
To Roen, Ullan was a problem child who broke rules like it was nothing and caused incidents constantly.
"However, violating your confinement and wandering off is a clear breach. Per academy rules, I'll escort you back to the guard post."
No sooner had Roen finished,
than some guards approached with thick ropes. At the sight, Ullan spoke up.
"I didn't break any rules."
"Just admit it. Your presence here is the violation."
"No, I just..."
Was hungry from lack of food, and came to the adjacent forest for fruit.
If anything violated rules, it was running into others right after exiting the cave.
But that was unavoidable.
They had come to the cave, not him.
As he tried to explain,
someone interjected.
"No, Ullan did nothing wrong."
With a firm voice,
a girl stepped protectively in front of him.
Ivela Elead. Roen frowned at her sudden appearance.
"And who might you be...?"
"Ullan is an Expert-level powerhouse. He must have sensed the wolf before us and came to deal with it."
With conviction in her tone,
Ivela defended him.
"To prevent greater damage."
She turned with a bright smile, as if asking, 'Right?'
It was completely off-base.
Ullan stared blankly at her.
'There's a misunderstanding...'
But he didn't refute it. Simple reason: her explanation sounded far more plausible than his rambling one.
"But that's just speculation..."
"I, think, the same."
As Roen began to counter,
a new ally appeared. A silver-haired girl in a mana-user's cloak fluttering behind her.
Dilia Arpen.
"Ullan, would, definitely do that."
Faith shone in her golden eyes.
Ullan looked baffled again. But he stayed silent this time too.
'No idea why,'
but he clearly felt their actions were for his sake.
The two advocated fiercely for him.
Ullan wore an odd expression.
'Feels strange.'
In his past life, that had always been his role. He stood at the front, protecting comrades.
Now it was reversed.
Past comrades protecting him. The situation felt alien and awkward, but not bad.
As he watched quietly,
Roen spoke again.
"Sigh. I understand wanting to cover for a friend. But breaking rules is a fact."
Roen approached with a sigh,
exuding a somewhat threatening aura.
"So I have to take him. If you keep interfering, you'll come too..."
"That's not right, is it?"
A new interrupter cut in.
Roen scowled at the fresh obstacle, irritation building.
But it faded quickly upon recognizing him. His face stiffened.
"...Professor Arnopf."
Ethan Arnopf.
Professor of martial arts and one of Ullan's backers. He wedged between Ullan and Roen, asking,
"No major crime committed—do we really need ropes for this?"
"He violated rules."
"Yes, I acknowledge that. But he didn't cause this incident. If anything, he resolved it."
Ethan's words rang true.
Ullan had helped solve the problem. Dragging him off didn't make sense.
"Still, the rule violation...!"
Roen thought differently.
Merit in resolution didn't erase the breach. They were separate issues.
It was his stubborn principle as vice-captain. But he'd picked the wrong opponent this time.
"Seems like a misunderstanding."
A chilling whisper in his ear.
Ethan continued flatly.
"The suspension came from the Audit Committee. So punishment for violating it is their domain too. Not the guard's."
"..."
Roen snapped to attention.
A warning. Don't cross the line.
Moments later, regaining composure, Roen bit his lip lightly and nodded.
"...Understood. We'll do it that way."
"Glad you see it."
Ethan smiled faintly.
"It's late—handle the full inquiry tomorrow. Or if now, five auditors will accompany you to the post."
"No, the guard's stepping back. Handle today's events internally and send a summary."
"Haha, convenient for both sides."
After the subtle power play,
Roen turned away, face rigidly stiff. As he departed, Ethan patted Ullan's shoulder.
"Good work. Everyone, back to the dorms."
Situation resolved, more or less.
But Ivela and Dilia showed no sign of leaving. They had lingering concerns about Ullan.
"P-Professor. About Ullan's punishment..."
"Suspension, too, long."
Dilia grumbled.
Ethan chuckled.
"Don't worry. Convening the committee tomorrow to revise it."
"R-Really?"
"Yes. And today's incident? Just a reflection statement. No sweat."
Reflection statement. Ullan's face hardened.
Naturally. He struggled with writing. In his past life, he'd always asked Ivela to pen letters to the tribe.
So he asked seriously.
"...Can't I just go to the guard instead?"
"Haha, good one."
Not a joke.
Ullan insisted on the guard, but only got laughter in return.
"Withdraw! All units, withdraw!"
"Back to the academy!"
With the order given,
the group gathered the dazed Noa and Cirpi and returned.
As all departed,
the forest fell into quiet stillness.
But soon, pale mist rolled in toward the cave. It swiftly took wolf form.
A white wolf with crimson eyes.
The spiritized White Wolf.
[...]
The White Wolf silently gazed beyond the forest.
Where the people had gone.
Staring intently, it reverted to mist. Then, with the night breeze, it began a quiet journey.
Toward where Ullan had gone.