Chapter 75: Social Gathering (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 75: Social Gathering (1)
“Sir Isaac, are you an idiot?”
Kaya accosted me, a look of deep displeasure etched onto her face.
She had even gone so far as to suggest that if I chose her, Zhonya’s Staff would come as part of the deal. But I couldn’t choose Kaya, not even as a joke. It would have felt like I was making light of her feelings.
Fortunately, her expression softened quickly, as if she were treating the whole thing as a prank. After some casual banter, we went our separate ways.
As a parting shot, Kaya gave me a sinister little smile. “You’ll probably be thinking about me a lot before you fall asleep tonight.”
‘This is awkward.’
I was lost in thought as I walked back to my dorm. Kaya’s affection was becoming increasingly aggressive, and it was starting to pose a problem. I felt the need to establish a clear stance on how to treat her… eventually.
As expected, Kaya’s demeanor returned to normal the following day.
“I-I apologize for acting so presumptuous yesterdayyyy—!”
The moment Kaya saw me, her face flushed a brilliant crimson. It seemed the memory of yesterday had finally caught up to her. She screamed an apology and bolted in the opposite direction. I stood there, wondering if I’d ever be able to have a proper conversation with her again.
*
Evening arrived, painting the sky in shades of deep orange and gold.
After classes, I headed for the butterfly garden. Putting the issue with Kaya aside, I wanted to test out Zhonya’s Staff. It had been a while since I’d visited the garden, and the atmosphere was wonderfully tranquil. The only sound was the rustle of grass swaying in the autumn breeze.
It was a stark contrast to the bustling training grounds where students swarmed to practice. I could feel the tension bleeding out of my shoulders.
“Oh…”
I couldn’t help but let out a soft exclamation of admiration when I spotted a female student leaning against a zelkova tree.
Long, violet hair cascaded down her shoulders from beneath a navy blue hat. With her legs stretched out in front of her, she was silently gazing up at the evening sky. She was a second-year student and my senior, Dorothy Heartnova.
[Dorothy Heartnova]
Level: 181
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Rock, Starlight
Danger: X
Psychology: [★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆]
‘Whoa.’
Is there any sight more beautiful than this? No, Dorothy was simply in a league of her own. My senior was so stunning and kind to me that I felt like I might actually die of happiness.
I had been discussing the events of Elt Island with her, ensuring my story matched the one I had given to the Truth Investigation Committee. Dorothy had advised me to avoid such dangerous situations in the future, but she didn’t forget to express how relieved she was that I was safe. She truly had her moments as a respectable senior.
As I was admiring her goddess-like appearance, Dorothy’s gaze shifted toward me. A bright smile blossomed on her face, like a flower in full bloom.
“President!”
“Senior.”
We exchanged identical smiles as we greeted each other. Dorothy suddenly hopped to her feet and skipped toward me, leaning in close to my face.
“Have you eaten—”
“Be my partner!”
Cutting me off mid-sentence, Dorothy blurted out her request.
‘Her partner? Oh, she’s talking about the social gathering.’
The scenario was currently moving toward 「Act 5, Scene 1: The Four Constellations」.
To put it simply, excluding the student council, the four factions involved in the Academy’s administrative policies were known as the Four Constellations. Each was named after a constellation in this world’s night sky.
Act 5 focused on the protagonist, Ian Fairytale, joining one of these factions—the ‘Blue Wolf’—and navigating the confusion that followed. Originally, the final boss of this act should have been Heinkel the Hoarder, but since I had already killed him, I couldn’t predict how the story would unfold.
The four factions would soon begin recruiting freshmen. But before that, they would host a social gathering—a massive party that had become a tradition at Märchen Academy.
At this gathering, students interested in romance would attend in pairs. It carried a romantic weight similar to a cherry blossom festival. While attendance was open to everyone, entering the party’s central area required a separate ‘invitation’ from one of the four factions. That was where you could meet the key representatives of each group.
‘Having a partner would be nice.’
In the world of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, the events that followed would change depending on which heroine you chose as your partner. I remembered it as a very enjoyable Act. It seemed Dorothy wanted to take me as her partner.
“You’re talking about the social gathering, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m touched.”
I replied sincerely, my eyes shining. Dorothy had opened her heart to me, expressing her wish to go together. If I were to express my current emotions through body language, even a backflip wouldn’t be enough to show my joy.
Satisfied with my response, she giggled.
“Nihihihi! As expected of my fan, you’re so straightforward!”
“But I don’t think I’ll be able to go.”
“But why?!”
Dorothy’s face fell instantly. Her look of pure discontent tugged at my heartstrings.
“Because I have to train.”
I responded with a shrug, playing the part of the lone student who chooses the library over a festival. My desire to have fun with Dorothy was higher than the Tower of Babel, and I knew I deserved an occasional break.
However, going with her would attract far too much attention. I had already drawn enough heat from the first-years by hanging out with Luce. This social gathering, however, involved students from all grades.
If I showed up with Dorothy—the girl hailed as the Academy’s greatest talent and the one who received the blessings of Manhalla… every eye in the Academy would be on me. To make matters worse, the student council president, Alice Carroll, would also be there.
I had to avoid becoming Dorothy’s partner and skip the gathering entirely.
Dorothy squinted at me, giving me an intense, searching stare before letting out a heavy sigh. She was clearly annoyed.
“Training fanatic. You’re no fun.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Never mind that. Where’d you get that thing?”
Dorothy glanced at Zhonya’s Staff, which I was holding in my left hand.
“I received it as a gift. I plan on practicing with it for a while.”
“Hmm…”
Dorothy didn’t seem interested in who gave it to me. Perhaps she thought it wasn’t an important detail. She turned her back to me and walked toward the zelkova tree.
“I changed my mind. I don’t want to go to the gathering either.”
“Senior?”
“As a training fanatic, you’re no fun at all, President. But going to the gathering without you would be even less fun.”
With a grunt, Dorothy leaned against the tree and pulled a book out of her witch’s hat.
‘Who even keeps books in their hat?’
Regardless, I had to stick to my plan. Before practicing with Zhonya’s Staff, I decided to work on my rock magic. I felt like I was on the verge of unlocking a new skill today.
As I channeled my elemental mana, the spell began to take shape.
Time passed.
[Rock Elemental Spell [Rock Wall (★4)] has been unlocked!]
[Rock Elemental Spell [Rock Avalanche (★4)] has been unlocked!!]
Eden, the small golem familiar I had summoned earlier, began celebrating as he watched me cast [Rock Avalanche]. Perhaps because he had devoured high-quality rock mana on Elt Island, his growth had accelerated; he had already reached level 85.
When I checked Eden’s status window, he was now listed as a ‘★4 familiar.’ I was more than satisfied with his progress.
‘Wait, what’s his [Synchronization]?’
Avoiding Dorothy’s gaze, I cautiously scrolled through the status window.
[Familiars]
Eden (Level: 85)
Grade: ★4
Race: Magic Beast
Elements: Rock
Friendship: 90
Synchronization: 75
Mana Consumption for Summoning: 350
“Oh, it went up a lot.”
If your [Synchronization] with a familiar was high, you could use some of their abilities—a partial summoning. For an avian familiar, you might manifest wings. In Eden’s case… it would allow me to manifest a rock fist. Eden’s ability to attach and detach rocks would likely be the key.
Something like rock armor might be useful, but the mana manipulation required for that was incredibly high, so I decided to move on for now. Encasing a fist was one thing, but crafting individual plates of armor that fit perfectly without hindering mobility was a whole different level of difficulty.
‘Next…’
I focused on my primary goal. I picked up Kaya’s gift, Zhonya’s Staff. The grip felt perfect in my hand.
[Zhonya's Staff]
A rare magic weapon crafted from the Philosopher’s Tree. Adorned with a gemstone infused with the natural essence of dawn. It resonates exceptionally well with the elements of water, ice, wind, and rock.
Rank: Tier 2
I gazed at the staff. Its appearance suited me perfectly.
‘Let’s try it.’
I extended the gemstone tip of Zhonya’s Staff and began to channel my mana.
‘Now, I’ll cast the spell… huh?’
For some reason, the mana I pushed into the staff felt stuck, tangling like knotted threads. Magic weapons increased a spell's power, but they made mana control significantly harder. That was why so many students struggled to use them.
I was currently learning that lesson the hard way.
‘This is harder than I thought…’
“Ugh…”
[Kyuu?]
Gritting my teeth, I attempted to force a spell through the staff. I barely managed to manifest the magic at the tip.
「Frostfire (Ice Element, ★4?)」
Hwaaa—!
But instead of a powerful blast, all that emerged was a pathetic, cold ember. Turning on a gas stove would have been more spectacular than this.
“Nyaha!!”
A peculiar laugh erupted from behind me. I turned to see Dorothy still leaning against the zelkova tree.
“Nyahahahaha! Was that supposed to be a fart?”
Clutching her stomach, Dorothy doubled over in gleeful laughter. While a wave of shame washed over me, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked when she laughed like that.
“Ah, what am I going to do with you? President, you’re so cute…”
Tears actually began to well up in Dorothy’s eyes from how hard she was laughing. I had to admit, it really did look like a magical fart.
“I feel more motivated now. Thank you for making fun of me, Senior.”
“Nihihihi! I’ll make fun of you as much as you want!”
[Kyuu!]
Even Eden seemed ready to join in on the mockery.
“Well… that was just because I’ve only just started practicing with the staff. Even if it’s as feeble as a fart now, the end result will be magnificent.”
“I wonder how long it’ll take to get to ‘magnificent.’ Nihihi.”
Eden raised an arm in agreement. Truly, the only one on my side was my golem.
*
‘I feel like I’m losing my mind…’
It was a pitch-black night. Using Zhonya’s Staff almost like a walking stick, I trudged toward Briggs Hall, the middle-tier dormitory.
Properly wielding a magic weapon required an incredibly intricate mana control process. It was mentally exhausting. If I had to compare it to studying, it was like trying to solve a textbook full of hundreds of complex problems written in tiny, cramped script.
“Hmm?”
As I reached Briggs Hall, I noticed the mana stone in my mailbox emitting a faint blue glow. That meant there was mail waiting for me.
‘Was I expecting anything?’
I didn’t think so. When I opened the mailbox and saw a letter addressed to me, I pulled it out.
“…?”
My exhausted mind went blank. On the bright red envelope, the symbol of a red elephant was engraved—the emblem of the ‘Red Elephant,’ one of the Four Constellations.
‘Why am I receiving this?’
This was an official invitation to the social gathering hosted by the Four Constellations. It granted the holder entry to the party’s central area. More importantly, it was an invitation to join the Red Elephant faction itself.
In the original ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Act 5 began with Ian Fairytale receiving an invitation like this. These were sent only to exceptional students or special cases like Ian, who possessed the light element. It was a move to increase a faction's influence.
In other words, this invitation wasn’t meant for someone like me.
“…”
My intuition began to scream. It felt like Act 5, which I had planned to ignore, was about to drag me into something very, very bad.