Chapter 311: To The Nether (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 311: To The Nether (1)
After classes, in the evening.
I arrived at the hideout by cutting across Josena Forest beside the campus.
“Senior Dorothy.”
“You’re here, President.”
Dorothy, who was sitting on the roof, greeted me. She had set her witch hat aside, and her light purple hair stood out as it caught the glow of the setting sun.
I lightly jumped up, kicked off a nearby tree, and landed on the roof. I sat down beside her, and together, we looked up at the sky.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes. How about you, Senior?”
“I ate two whole chickens, give or take.”
“Is that what you call ‘roughly’…?”
We engaged in some trivial small talk until a brief silence followed.
Dorothy parted her lips to speak. “President.”
“Yes.”
“You know, back when we fought the fairy... what he said back then—”
“You can forget it,” I interrupted.
If she remained alive, she would become a transcendent being, and a great calamity would befall humanity. No matter how one looked at it, it wasn’t an appealing proposition.
That was why I had to be firm with her.
“No matter what happens, I’ll stop it. You just need to stay put, Dorothy.”
I feigned nonchalance, acting as if it were nothing, solely to reassure her. Whether it was a catastrophe or anything else, I was determined to stop it. I wanted Dorothy to survive, no matter the cost.
“…I was actually going to say that.”
…What?
“Pardon?”
I looked at Dorothy. She was smiling sweetly.
“You know, President… I’ve been thinking. I just want to spend my whole life with you… yeah, with you.”
Dorothy’s cheeks flushed, seemingly embarrassed. As the mood turned awkward, she tried to smile even wider.
“So, I wanted to ask you a favor. I know it’s shameless of me… but if it seems like something bad might happen to people because of Big Sis, I want you to stop it. Big Sis has no one else to rely on but you.”
I realized my worries had been unfounded. Seeing Dorothy’s smiling face, my anxiety dissipated like a heavy burden being lifted from my chest.
My resolve hardened.
“Why bring up shame? It’s only natural.” I chuckled. “Why not? Let’s do it.”
I had already lived through this world once, and I had come to care for this girl far too much. I was going to protect her, no matter what.
“Nihihi, that’s reassuring.”
We looked at each other, joked around, and then turned our gaze back to the sky. For a while, no words were exchanged. Dorothy put her hat back on and gently rested her head on my shoulder, her face hidden beneath the brim.
“Hey, President.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.” Her voice trembled slightly. “I’m sorry for making things so hard for you…”
“It doesn’t matter. If you still feel guilty about it, then make it up to me by staying by my side.”
Dorothy was gifted at reading people’s emotions. Even though I was good at masking my expressions, it was hard to hide the feelings I buried deep within.
Well, it’s okay. Everything will turn out fine, I reassured myself.
*
With each step I took, fallen leaves crunched underfoot.
To my side, I saw the academy janitor sweeping the ground using a gentle wind spell and multiple brooms. The peak of autumn was passing, and winter was slowly inching its way in.
Nothing much has happened.
Except for the occasional stalking by my sister, Eve, life was quiet.
Instructor Ron continued delivering his usual high-quality lectures in the Class A classroom. He acted as if he’d never fought me, showing no unusual behavior even under the watchful eye of Phantom Cat Cheshire. He occasionally suggested a game of chess, which I declined every time.
The failed assassin, Methel Valencia, remained trapped within her dreams in Düpfendorf’s solitary cell. Even though she was being held hostage intentionally, Instructor Ron showed no signs of looking for her. He was simply living a normal academy life.
Luce is calm, too.
According to Aria, the Hegel Magic Tower Master, there were no more signs of Luce breaking into the lab. Luce simply followed me around as she usually did.
Then, one day...
“There will be a duel evaluation soon.”
In the Orphin Hall, 2nd-year Class A classroom, Professor Philip Meltron made the announcement.
“I’ll distribute two duel request tickets to each of you. I trust you all know the protocol, so I’ll skip the explanation.”
I forgot…
There was a duel evaluation. I hadn’t been paying much attention to it lately. It wasn’t particularly important, though I had resolved to duel Luce during the second semester of our second year to gauge my skills.
Given that I had gained the unique trait [Archwizard’s Domain], I could roughly match Luce’s combat power without any additional buffs.
By feeding her some nonsense like, “I’ll face you as Isaac, not as the Ice Sovereign,” while pretending to be sincere—and intentionally lowering the effects of [Vs. Human Combat Power] before engaging—it would be a valuable combat experience.
If I lose, it means my combat sense is lacking. If I win, it means I’ve been maintaining my edge reasonably well.
It would serve as a good benchmark.
“Once your dueling opponent is decided within the week, make sure to report it.”
*
“Luce.”
“…?”
After the morning class ended, I tapped Luce’s shoulder as she sat at her desk. I pointed toward the classroom door and started walking; Luce followed me without a word.
We stood facing each other in a shaded area behind the building. I could hear the voices of students wandering the campus, but this spot was secluded enough to avoid prying eyes.
“Isaac, you pervert.”
“What are you saying out of nowhere?”
Where did that baseless insult come from…?
“What are you trying to do with me in a secluded place like this?” Luce tilted her head with a gentle, noble smile, pressing me for an answer.
Using [Psychological Insight], I could see that she simply wanted to be with me all day.
“Don’t worry, I’m not thinking of anything weird.”
“It’s fine. I don’t plan on saying no to whatever you want to do.”
“That’s a dangerous statement, don’t you think…?”
Luce smiled bashfully. She was always cold to others, but she always reserved her warmest smiles for me. That smile was remarkably graceful and delicate, especially in contrast to her bold words and actions.
“First, take this. I thought it would cause a scene if I gave it to you in front of everyone.”
“Huh?”
I took two duel request tickets from my pocket and handed them to her. Luce looked at the tickets with a puzzled expression.
“Luce, I challenge you to a duel.”
By handing over a duel request ticket, one could challenge the recipient. The recipient had the right to refuse, but if they were presented with two tickets, they were required to participate.
Luce accepted them.
“…Is this revenge? You’ve never beaten me once because you’ve been holding back your strength.”
Revenge, huh? I suppose there was a bit of that.
259 matches. 0 wins, 259 losses. That was my record against Luce. If I had to pick the person I had sparred with the most at this academy, it was undoubtedly her.
“It’s not really that. I was planning to duel you anyway. And, Luce.”
“Yes.”
Why did you secretly go into Teacher’s lab?
It was hard to ask that directly while looking into those clear blue eyes.
“…Let’s go eat.”
Luce smiled. “Sure.”
*
“You’re planning to duel Luce Eltania?”
“Yes. I still haven’t been able to beat her.”
Late at night, inside Aria’s lab at the Hegel Magic Tower. We talked as we entered through the secret passage.
“If you used your real strength, even Luce Eltania wouldn’t stand a chance… You deceiver.”
“Well, if I lower my level a bit…”
“Then she wouldn’t like it.”
…That’s true.
If I fought earnestly while matching my level to hers, it would still feel deceptive. Luce would likely feel very uncomfortable facing me under those conditions.
Was I being too selfish…?
I would need to justify it in advance—explain that it was just to evaluate my combat sense—and persuade her.
“You’re right. Thanks for pointing that out.”
“Let’s skip the small talk. There’s a problem.”
“Pardon?”
Aria had set up a barrier to prevent the detection of mana from outside. Completely blocking a massive release of mana was difficult, but her barrier was strong enough to contain most leaks.
We passed through the barrier and entered the secret lab, stopping before a strange rift. As usual, a solid barrier surrounded the tear in space.
Something… doesn’t feel right.
It felt different from the last time I was here.
“Can’t you feel it? The faint mana.”
“What is this?”
Aria spoke seriously. “Even the powerful Netherstorm, which sweeps away all natural mana, cannot reach this far beyond the rift. However, observations confirm that this mana is not natural.”
If it wasn’t natural mana, it meant it was mana from a living being.
“In other words, it’s the mana of someone unimaginably powerful.” Aria reached a chilling conclusion. “It’s presumed that someone in the Nether is watching this rift. Is there a possibility it’s the Nether King?”
“No, the Nether King is always cautious about letting his mana extend outside the Nether.”
A mysterious powerhouse was targeting anyone who might cross through this rift. If someone could extend their mana beyond the rift like this, I couldn't even begin to imagine their strength.
Could it be…?
I approached the barrier and extended my hand. If they were that powerful, their mana perception had to be monstrous.
I let my ice mana flow through my hand. Suddenly, the faint mana in the air became dense and heavy.
“This is…?” Aria’s eyes widened. It had been a while since I’d seen such a surprised reaction on her usually emotionless face.
It’s certain…
The being beyond the rift sensed my mana and reacted intensely.
It knew me.
“Hmm.” Aria crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “You can probably sense it, but even for you, it would be hard to stay safe in the Nether. I’ll ask just in case—do you really think you can make the crossing?”
Round 1 Dorothy had mentioned it. She said that reaching the Icy Lake was almost impossible for me.
Honestly…
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Why the hell is everyone acting like this?
I exhaled slowly, gathering my thoughts. Suddenly, memories of my intense exam-prep days came to mind. Whether it was back then or now, the unbearable sense of hopelessness was exactly the same.
However, now everyone’s lives were at stake, and the success rate was depressingly low, making the weight of it all the more significant. I had to bear it.
But still…
Round 1 Dorothy had worried about me. Yet, she had still shown me the way to the Icy Lake. She must have guessed that I wouldn’t want to watch her self-destruct.
“Of course I have to do it.”
No matter how many monsters stood in my way, I couldn’t give up. I looked at Aria and gave her a calm, kind smile.
“It’s not much longer now. I’ll be relying on you until the end, Teacher.”
“…”
Aria looked at me impassively, gave a quiet exhale, and nodded.