Chapter 203: Teacher — Interlude (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: Teacher — Interlude (2)
The Frost Spirit Merphil—an 8-star ice-attribute magic beast.
It was listed in the bestiary of the Magic Knight of Märchen setting book, but since it never actually appeared in the game, this was my first time seeing it in person.
Like Hilde, it was supposed to be massive. Aside from the Phantom Cat Cheshire, every 8-star magic beast in the setting was characterized by its enormous size.
Is this form a type of camouflage?
[...]
The Frost Spirit Merphil drifted closer. Its movements were eerie, gliding forward without feet as if on a moving walkway—much like a ghost from a horror film.
The spirit came to a halt directly in front of me, its height nearly reaching the ceiling. Its elongated, twisted facial structure left a bizarre, unsettling impression.
Then, the Frost Spirit bowed its upper body in a formal greeting and extended a skeletal hand. Its four fingers were unnaturally long.
The hand opened, and a dagger materialized.
It was a silver dagger. The scabbard was a brilliant silver-white, engraved with exquisite patterns, housing a blade with a matching silver hilt.
“Is this for me?”
The Frost Spirit Merphil nodded slowly.
I took the silver dagger. Despite the biting cold radiating from it, the weapon felt strangely comfortable in my grip.
[I have been waiting… for you.]
The Frost Spirit’s voice echoed directly in my mind, a strange, ethereal sound.
[Please lead us. We will respond to your call, whenever it may be…]
Whoosh.
Having delivered its message, Merphil dissolved into a frigid mist. The vapor flowed out the window and quickly dissipated into the air.
That was the Frost Spirit’s unique magic, [Spiritualization]—an ability that allowed the user to discard their physical form and travel as pure spirit energy.
I walked to the window and looked out. Faint blue particles fluttered away, passing effortlessly through the transparent barrier protecting the island. That was likely how it had bypassed the academy’s security.
“Hilde.”
Snap.
I drew the curtains shut.
I channeled mana into Hilde, prompting her to transform into her small white dragon form. She landed on the floor and looked up at me.
“What’s going on? A ghostly creature shows up at the crack of dawn just to hand me something...?”
I was genuinely baffled.
[Perhaps my old comrades have finally noticed your existence.]
By "old comrades," Hilde meant the familiars and minions who once served the Primordial Ice Sovereign.
[They must have sensed the faint aura of the [Ice Sovereign] you’ve been emitting—especially after you summoned a primordial beast.]
“Did you know this would happen?”
[I did not!] Hilde answered with unearned confidence. [How could I possibly know what they were thinking?]
“Fair enough.”
It made sense. This was likely a first for her as well. Regardless, it meant that magic beasts capable of national-level destruction were now aware of me.
[Ugh. Of all of them, the most sinister one had to be the one to find you.]
Hilde flew up and perched on my shoulder, her eyes fixed on the silver dagger.
I drew the blade from its sheath to inspect it. A sharp chill emanated from the metal, sending a refreshing coolness through my hand. Three unique magic circles were intricately engraved onto the flat of the blade.
I ran a finger along the steel, but felt nothing unusual. It was simply cold and hard.
[That dagger is the symbol of the Ice Sovereign’s qualification. Its name is the Blade of Frost Flowers. It is a Dagger of Oath and a Dagger of Pacts.]
Hilde explained as if she had been waiting for me to ask.
[It is not a weapon you can handle easily. Even if you are the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign, you are still far too weak… unless, of course, you are fighting demons.]
So what? Whether I can handle it or not is for me to decide.
Fate was crawling toward me of its own accord. My heart fluttered at the unexpected gain. I turned the Blade of Frost Flowers over, admiring it from various angles. It was undeniably cool.
Hilde narrowed her eyes and poked my cheek firmly with her short foreleg.
[Master? Are you even listening?]
“I heard you. And how many times do I have to tell you? I’m not the reincarnation of the Ice Sovereign.”
[Ugh, dagnabit. You’re so stubborn.]
Hilde cursed under her breath, looking disgruntled. Her expression clearly asked: If you aren't the reincarnation, then what else could you possibly be?
I looked back at her and said, “Hilde, give me a detailed explanation of what this thing actually does.”
*
In the top-tier dormitory, Charles Hall.
Bello, the killer whale familiar, and Galia, a thunderbird the size of a crow, were buzzing with excitement the moment they were summoned. They stared intently at Luce.
They were dying to know what had happened between her and Isaac at the Hegel Magic Tower. After all, the two had ended up sharing a bed the previous night.
Luce sat on the edge of her bed, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.
Bello and Galia approached her with mischievous, expectant grins.
[Uh, Master? Did things go well with… hehe… Isaac?]
“Hmm…”
Luce let out a frustrated sigh and buried her face in her hands.
Bello, who had been ready to tease her further, immediately clamped his mouth shut. One look at her told them this was a situation where they shouldn't have opened their mouths.
“Galia, Bello. Just… tidy up the room. Quickly.”
[Luce? Shouldn't you just call a maid for that?]
“No. I want to be alone.”
Luce pulled the blanket over her head and collapsed onto the bed, looking utterly drained.
Sweating profusely, Bello and the Thunderbird scrambled to tidy up the shoes and clothes Luce had carelessly kicked off.
[Hey, Galia.]
[I know…]
Away from Luce’s hearing, the two familiars whispered to each other.
[It seems it’s still too early to expect grandchildren…]
The Thunderbird’s voice was thick with disappointment.
The night before, it had reverse-summoned itself with such high hopes. The greater the expectation, the harder the letdown. The Thunderbird let out a heavy sigh.
Before they had left the Hegel Magic Tower, Aria had held a private meeting with Luce. There, Aria had introduced Luce to "snippets of a new world."
Armed with a vast knowledge of—and a healthy curiosity for—erotic novels, Aria had captured Luce’s attention. In a calm, academic tone, she had spun scandalous stories, forcing Luce to indulge in numerous risqué fantasies involving herself and Isaac.
Luce had never realized quite how sheltered she was until that moment.
Just the sight of Isaac now brought Aria’s stories rushing back to her mind, making it impossible for her to maintain her composure during the entire trip back to the dorms. Aria’s "lessons" were far too stimulating for a girl who had only recently moved past puberty. Luce had been forced to swallow her desire to hear more.
“I need to rest today…!”
It wasn’t a choice; it was a necessity. She had to calm her racing heart immediately. Luce squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to force herself into a sleep that wouldn't come.
*
This should be enough.
It was broad daylight in a secluded corner of the Butterfly Garden. I took a deep breath as I surveyed the five stone pillars I had erected.
I formed a gun shape with my right hand, pointing my index finger at one of the pillars. I began the mental calculations to construct the magic circle for the 7-star ice spell, [Icebolt].
Seven pale blue magic circles manifested in the air, all locking onto the targets.
I "fired" from my fingertip.
Boom!!
Pale blue mana streaked through the air at lightning speed. Simultaneously, a wave of frost exploded outward as recoil.
Beams of light etched themselves into the air, but the [Icebolt] missed the pillar entirely.
“Ah…”
As expected. My mastery was still too low, and my accuracy suffered for it. I could hit a target easily at close range, but I wanted to practice long-distance sniping. It was essential for broadening my tactical options.
Again. I fired another [Icebolt].
A week had passed since my return from the Hegel Magic Tower.
Through Kaya and Dorothy, I had caught up on the events that transpired while I was away.
The inevitable finally happened.
A massive incident had occurred in Horan, the Land of the Fire Blossoms, sending shockwaves across the world. The true Priestess had finally been revealed.
The Nation of the Fire Blossoms had requested the cooperation of the Zelver Imperial Family to apprehend Mei, the girl who had deceived an entire country.
Mei had attempted to flee from her hospital room and go into hiding, but she was eventually cornered by the Imperial Knights. She had resisted fiercely, injuring several knights before being subdued.
Students had watched in grim silence as Mei was dragged away, wailing miserably. It was the total downfall of the False Priestess.
Now, Mei’s fate rested in Miya’s hands. Given their blood relation, she would likely be spared the death penalty, but she would almost certainly be sentenced to lifelong hard labor—likely after having a part of her body removed as punishment.
It was karma. The time had come for her to pay for her cruelty.
Aside from the news, Kaya and Dorothy both had the same question for me.
— Sir Isaac, nothing "special" happened with Luce Eltania, right?
— President, nothing happened with that stalker friend of yours, right?
Since nothing actually happened, I told them the truth. Luce had simply been a huge help during the mission. They both looked at me with lingering doubt, as if they didn't quite believe me, but I had nothing else to add.
When I finally saw Snow White again, she had gripped my hand tightly with tearful eyes, crying about how much she missed me. She was incredibly adorable, so I patted her head before getting back to her mentoring.
As for the assignment I’d left her… I decided that the effort was what counted. The work she submitted showed she had tried hard, but it lacked polish. It seemed two weeks wasn't quite enough time for her to master it.
Thanks to Amy and Mateo’s meticulous lecture notes, I had no trouble catching up on the classes I’d missed and cleared my backlog of assignments in record time.
Time flew by.
One evening, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, I found myself on the bridge spanning the lake in the Hydrangea Garden. I leaned against the railing, practicing my mana mastery with a magic tool while I waited for someone.
“Hey, Baby? What are you up to?”
A female student with light gold hair popped her head into my field of vision, greeting me with a playful lilt. It was the senior who had asked me out.
“Ah, Senior Alice. Just some extra training.”
“Oh? You really are a hard worker, aren't you?”
I tucked the magic tool into my pocket.
“Sorry I’m late. I got caught up in some student council business.”
“It’s fine. You got here fast enough. I haven't been waiting long.”
Alice Carroll, the Student Council President, leaned her arm on the railing and rested her chin in her palm, staring at me intently.
“…Baby, didn’t you miss me?”
The orange glow of the sunset reflected in Alice’s eyes and hair. I met her gaze for a moment, then offered a smile.
“Of course I did. You’re always looking out for me, Senior.”
It was a false smile.
“That’s good to hear. I missed you too, Baby.”
Alice gave me her trademark gentle smile.
Today was the day before 「Act 9: Alice Subjugation」.