Chapter 99: Joint Practical Evaluation — Interlude
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: Joint Practical Evaluation — Interlude
Thanks to the Trial of Frost, I was able to decipher the fragmented memories of the original Isaac that still lingered in my mind.
Isaac and his older sister, Eve Ropenheim, were half-siblings.
Isaac’s mother had once fallen for Baron Ropenheim, charmed by his romantic advances, and eventually conceived a child with him. However, she and her unborn baby were abandoned by the Baron for the most superficial of reasons: he found her pregnancy unsightly. Essentially, he detested how her body changed while she carried his child.
Exiled to a dilapidated house in the countryside, she eventually gave birth to their daughter, Eve. For a woman lost in sorrow and the futility of her existence, Eve became her sole reason to keep living.
Later, she met a commoner, which led to the birth of Isaac. With his arrival, she found yet another reason to endure.
I could recall the circumstances of Isaac’s birth, but specific details about his past—like his actual childhood—remained a complete blank. I couldn’t remember where Isaac’s father had vanished to, nor how Eve Ropenheim had managed to reunite with her biological father, Baron Ropenheim.
Of course, I’m sure it’s not a happy story.
‘Anyway.’
No matter how much of a scumbag Baron Ropenheim was, what kind of trauma Isaac’s mother endured, or who Eve really was—that was the original Isaac’s problem, not mine.
My problems were rooted in the present. I needed to summarize the situation.
As I mentioned before, since Eve had arrived here safely, the messenger at the fourth gate must have been neutralized. Consequently, the academy staff would soon be heading to this cave to replace both the messenger and the professor.
In short, there was no time to sit around and relax.
“Y-yeah! That’s right! I’m his older sister!” Eve shouted, her arrogance coming across as awkward and forced.
Before Kaya could respond, Eve began breaking out in a cold sweat. I pressed my index finger to my lips, signaling her to stay quiet.
Kaya, still reeling from the shock, managed to regain her composure. It seemed my silent command had been understood.
‘First of all, if I’ve correctly deduced what this "older sister" said earlier...’
Eve didn’t know the specifics of what Kaya and I had been doing. Moreover, she hadn’t seen the frog demon’s territory; she had only witnessed Kaya’s blood magic. That meant she was likely a significant distance away from Milo the Yearner.
Which meant...
‘She must have been outside the hole I blasted earlier.’
The mana from "Dark Kaya" was potent enough that even Eve could sense it accurately. Therefore, I just had to gaslight her into thinking she was mistaken, attributing everything to Kaya’s overwhelming magical prowess. It would be best to gloss over the matter using that as an excuse.
“And another thing—who do you think you’re calling a demon?”
“...Huh?”
I maintained a calm expression, looking down at Eve from a short distance.
By the way, this sister of mine is incredibly nervous.
“Kaya possesses a rare and powerful element. Earlier, she saved me by destroying a trap I almost walked into. I appreciate that you stepped up to help me, but don’t insult or accuse her. Now, go back. You haven’t even cleared the fourth gate yet.”
“How... how did you know that...?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you tailing me?”
Eve let out a shocked hiccup.
“The timing doesn’t add up. There’s no way you could have cleared the fourth gate so quickly and made it all the way here. Why did you even follow me?”
“W-well... I couldn’t help it! I... I was just trying to help! Yeah, I was helping you! If you fell into danger in a place like this and I didn’t step in, you’d be in big trouble! After all, you’re w... e... ak...?”
I don’t think I’m weak enough to need protection from a Level 87, though...
Eve’s voice trailed off. She likely realized mid-sentence that her logic didn't hold up. Regardless, it wasn't hard to see that she was genuinely concerned for my well-being, despite her careless and argumentative tone.
‘She seems like a good person at heart.’
I wonder why her relationship with Isaac became so twisted.
For now, I needed to end this conversation. I brushed past Eve without another word, acting as if I had nothing left to say.
“Kaya, let’s go.”
Kaya followed close behind me.
“Sir Isaac, please, give me a chance to make up for my mistake with your sister...” she pleaded in a whisper, her expression mournful and desperate.
Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to entertain her plea right now. Using wind magic to lift us, we left Eve behind and ascended through the hole. As we rose, I glanced back down at her.
I was met by a pair of hollow, sunken eyes.
[Eve Ropenheim]
>
Psychology: [Feels a deep sense of guilt toward you.]
...I’ll deal with this later.
I briefly considered having a proper talk with Eve under the guise of partial memory loss.
‘But there’s probably no need.’
Isaac’s life story began in an average commoner family and ended with him taking his own life. Wherever Eve fit into that narrative, it was certain she hadn't played a positive role.
“Isaac!” Eve called out suddenly. “After Mom passed away... what happened to you during those two years?”
She clearly had many questions after following me today.
‘That’s understandable.’
Isaac had been the weakest of the weak since childhood, yet he had suddenly appeared at the most prestigious academy on the continent, displaying skills far above his peers.
Well, the answer wasn't complicated. I didn't even have to think about it.
“Nothing happened.”
“...”
The original Isaac had studied himself to death to be recognized for his theoretical brilliance. That effort was what allowed him to enter Märchen Academy as a Magic Theory major. He likely spent those two years in total isolation, burying himself in books.
And during his darkest moments, Eve hadn't been there.
With that short exchange over, Kaya and I continued our ascent. As we headed toward the fifth gate, Kaya looked at me with a pitiful, pleading gaze.
“Sir Isaac, could you please turn back time just once...? If it’s you, wouldn’t that be easy...?”
[Kaya Astrea]
>
Psychology: [Depressed because she ruined her first encounter with her sister-in-law.]
...Sorry, but that’s a bit much even for me.
*
“Sigh...”
The reunion with her younger brother had been an absolute disaster. Left alone with her thoughts, Eve felt lost.
She was certain now. It seemed unbelievable, but Isaac’s mind, body, and magical aptitude were entirely different from before. He used to be a frail boy, bullied by the children in their hometown for being magically inept.
The Isaac who was weak to his very core was gone. Now, only a reliable and talented young man was reflected in Eve’s eyes.
‘Perhaps...’
He must have endured unimaginable sorrow, using his heartache as a stepping stone to mature. After their mother passed away, Isaac had abandoned their shabby house and disappeared to live on his own.
Eve had only reunited with him today because they were both students participating in the same evaluation. She couldn't even begin to imagine the blood, sweat, and tears it took for him to change so drastically.
Her heart ached, and her throat tightened with unshed tears. To Isaac, Eve was someone who couldn't even fulfill the role of an older sister properly. While Isaac was bettering himself through grief and solitude, Eve had done nothing for him. Instead, she had only driven a nail into her brother’s heart, deepening his suffering.
Eve let out a heavy sigh.
“But...”
Feeling despondent, Eve looked up at the hole. It was high above the ground where she stood.
“How do I get out of here...?”
Cold reality snapped Eve out of her wallowing. She had overused her wind magic while chasing Isaac and had even exhausted herself attacking Kaya. Her mana was depleted.
She should have swallowed her pride and asked Isaac to carry her out. Eve was already filled with regret.
*
[Status]
>
Name: Isaac
Lv: 82
Gender: Male
Year: 1st
Title: Eager First Year
Mana: 12000/12000
Mana Recovery Speed: (B)
Autumn had begun to set in. The academy streets were filled with students wearing uniforms that were gradually becoming thicker. The cold season was creeping closer, which meant it wouldn't be long before the Floating Island appeared.
Before that happened, I wanted to be strong enough to ensure I could handle the crisis. If nothing went wrong in the meantime, I wouldn't have to worry about a "Bad Ending," allowing me to train in peace.
“Hooo.”
Boom—!
Crash—!
At the academy training grounds, I was busy obliterating demonic illusions with elemental magic.
Now that I had outgrown the title of "the weakest," no students tried to pick useless fights with me over my abilities. On the contrary, more students seemed to watch me with admiration while I trained. My performance with Zhonya’s Staff had apparently been quite the spectacle. Honestly, it made me feel a bit vain; my shoulders tended to stiffen with pride.
I placed 30th in the joint practical evaluation, passing the exam. Considering the time I spent dealing with the frog demon, my performance was much better than expected.
‘Though I did use some tricks.’
Of course, my knowledge of the game played a massive role. If I had taken the evaluation based purely on raw skill without meta-knowledge, I would have placed in the middle of the pack—or upper-middle at best.
I felt bad for Kaya. I knew she had wanted to beat Luce. However, she just smiled and let it go, saying her desire to win couldn't compare to the peace of the academy.
The only real drawback was the terrible first impression she had made on Eve Ropenheim. Whenever Eve was mentioned, I could see tears glistening in Kaya’s eyes. She claimed it was the first time in her life she had ever wanted to turn back time so badly.
Incidentally, she asked if I was hiding my true identity from my family as well, so I vaguely confirmed her suspicions. She seemed surprised that my sister, Eve, was so "ordinary." Since Kaya’s parents were a Swordmaster and a genius wizard, I suppose she expected my family to be equally extraordinary.
Furthermore...
‘How long is Isaac’s sister going to keep following me?’
Since the evaluation ended, Eve hadn't spoken a single word to me. However, whenever I checked my surroundings with [Clairvoyance], I could easily spot her stalking me. She wasn't at the training grounds right now, though. I was fairly certain we would have a real conversation in the near future.
‘It’s bothersome...’
On the day my journey to defeat the Evil God ends... I don't know if I’ll return to my original world or stay here. I’m only human, so there are times I miss my family back home. Because of that, I had a selfish desire to get closer to Eve, the only blood relative I had in this world.
‘But I don't need to push it that far.’
I don't know anything about Isaac’s childhood.
I didn't know his relationships, the specifics of how he got along with Eve, or what memories they shared. However, that didn't mean I wanted to start digging into his past. It wasn't too late to worry about those things after the Evil God was dealt with.
For now, to conquer the Floating Island, I needed to focus on training with several times my usual efficiency.
And so, I trained every day. Even when I got nosebleeds, I didn't stop practicing my magic. I asked Dorothy to use buff magic on me so I could forcefully recover and train again and again. I applied everything I learned in classes and books to repetitive practical drills. I even rationed my sleep, training like a madman...
Ten days later, the accumulated fatigue finally caught up to me.
Collapse.
In an instant, the world went black.