Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 228
>Chapter Title: Great, Great, Great...
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Sunlight poured brilliantly into a certain office.
“Then, we’ll wrap this matter up as you instructed.”
“Mm, do that.”
Principal Schwarts dismissed the staff member who had finished their report and tidied up his desk.
The office was modest.
An old desk bearing the traces of generations of principals, and an antique bookshelf that gave off a cozy feel.
Schwarts stretched for a moment, taking in the scene, then grabbed his coat and stepped out of the office.
Through the corridor windows, the trees were painted in vibrant colors.
‘Already proper autumn, huh.’
As the seasons shifted fully, a wistful glint passed through Schwarts’s eyes.
They say you become numb to the flow of time as you age, but it didn’t feel quite that way for Schwarts.
This year especially, the passage of time felt strangely unfamiliar.
‘Come to think of it, so many things happened this year.’
It had been decades since he took over as academy principal.
Yet this year left a deeper impression than any other he’d spent in the role.
‘Professor Parun’s home invasion incident.’
Decullan mages breaking into staff residences...
‘The Bimar Family seizing the Hall of Trials.’
A major incident where Decullan vassal families took over the Hall of Trials, targeting academy students.
Related to that, Patriarch Pahren von Decullan visited the academy, and various other matters arose, but the biggest event of all was undoubtedly one encounter.
‘Aster.’
A stray from the Black-White Slums, who knew where he’d rolled in from.
Officially a ward of the Blandoga Family, but his true nature was shrouded in mystery—even Schwarts hadn’t fully grasped it.
One thing was certain, though...
‘He’s got zero manners.’
Was it that rotten personality?
He had a knack for attracting incidents and accidents. Or more precisely, things escalated whenever he got involved.
Destrow reviving in the Hamern Great Forest, tangling with the Gold Horse Society Salvatium’s gold horse mages...
And that wasn’t all.
‘During break, the Blandoga side got into some mess again...’
He never talked about it, so the details were unclear, but he always came back from outings with dark circles under his eyes—definitely not minor trouble.
Because of that, Schwarts had been on high alert regarding Aster-related matters, even losing sleep over it recently.
‘Can’t even put surveillance on him...’
Quiet when quiet.
Loud when loud.
It felt like harboring a time bomb in the academy, never knowing when it might go off.
But.
“Now it’s livable.”
Schwarts stood before the Sage’s Tower, taking in the peaceful scenery.
Contrary to worries about a major incident, Aster had been remarkably quiet this second semester.
And finals were next week.
‘Just get past these, and we’re good.’
Break came right after finals.
During break, even if he caused trouble, he’d do it out there, so Schwarts could breathe easy.
Thus, the current peace no longer felt precarious.
Today was a perfectly flawless day.
Bright sunlight.
Gentle breeze.
Vivid autumn leaves etched into his retinas.
“The perfect day for an afternoon nap.”
Schwarts smiled warmly and headed to his hideout.
His personal sanctuary that had gotten him through this turbulent year.
‘Should’ve made a spot like that ages ago.’
Feeling like he’d wasted half his principal tenure, yet already growing languid at the thought of lounging on that plush sofa, puffing on a cigar, sipping tea, and dozing off.
And so, Schwarts made his way there.
But that peace didn’t last long.
Boom, kwang! Kung...!
The moment he crossed the barrier around his hideout, faint explosions reached his ears.
The ground trembled slightly, and Schwarts stood frozen, eyes fixed ahead.
“Hm...”
An intruder?
Shock was brief.
Schwarts shot forward toward the source at a speed reminiscent of his active days.
When he arrived at the hideout.
Schwarts stopped again, taking in the scene.
His eyelids twitched. The devastation filled his vision, but his mind refused to process it.
“What the...”
Slash, chijijijik—!
Blinding flashes streaked through the air. Each flicker sliced chunks from the half-ruined hideout walls like pudding.
One thing was clear.
“You vile wretch! Afraid of facing me?! What’s this disgrace! Can’t you fight fair and square?!”
Wielding the sword was Shine.
She glared at her opponent with a ferocious look he’d never seen, utterly enraged.
And before her...
“Cowardly? Oh, so swinging around that demon sword makes you fair and square?”
“Eungheong, spare... spare me, Lady Shine. Please...”
A boy dodging the blade with graceful movements. In one hand, he swung around a man two heads taller than himself—the man was in tears.
“What’s wrong with a knight swinging a sword!”
Shine shouted indignantly, but Aster was shameless.
“Right back at you. Who’s gonna complain if I swing my right arm?”
“Eek!”
Shine’s sword veered off course whenever Rayleigh was in its path.
And without fail, colorful spells flew in then.
Schwarts stared blankly at the spectacle.
“Th, th, th...”
A stifled groan escaped through clenched teeth.
A thunderous roar erupted right then.
“You thunderbolt-headed fools—!”
Schwarts’s terrifying mana dominated the space.
“...!”
Shine flinched.
“Sa, saved. Saved...!”
Rayleigh wept.
Meanwhile.
“Senior, perfect timing. Take a look at this guy. Huh? He was totally set on killing me.”
Aster, still brazen.
Schwarts glared murderously at Aster while binding the three with his mana.
The magic prison gripped them tight.
Schwarts spat through gritted teeth, killing intent pouring off him.
“Did you... have to take everything... like this?”
His eyes blankly took in the ruined sanctuary.
A single tear rolled down from the corner of his eye.
This was... the tears of a male robbed of his den. The pathetic plight of a man stripped of his haven.
“All of you, out. Get... get out.”
Schwarts squeezed his eyes shut and issued the eviction order.
Any longer staring at them, and blood would stain his hands.
Schwarts was a true educator.
...At that eviction, Aster secretly smiled.
‘...Plan’s working.’
Aster knew Schwarts visited his hideout every lunch hour.
* * *
Was it because the principal’s arrival doused the flames that had flared up?
“...Fine, you vile wretch. What brings you here today?”
In a new spot, away from the principal.
Shine asked calmly, noticeably subdued.
Instead of answering, I glanced at the exhausted Rayleigh.
“I... I’ll be going now.”
Rayleigh tactfully(?) excused himself, and I waited until he was far enough before speaking.
“Calmed down a bit?”
“What’s there to calm? Not fully satisfied, but I showed the power gap, so that’s that.”
“Hm... yeah.”
Recalling how I’d dodged with Rayleigh in tow? Satisfaction spread across Shine’s anger-filled face.
From the start, Shine didn’t seem to want to crush me.
She just needed a chance to vent pent-up frustration.
Not bad for me.
‘Worried it wouldn’t cool even after the principal showed... but this makes talking easy.’
Honestly, I was shocked.
Who’d have thought what he brought from the Sword God’s Tomb was a demon sword.
Plenty I wanted to ask about that, but it wasn’t urgent, so I shelved my curiosity.
Then, looking at the smug Shine, I cautiously opened my mouth.
“Hey... wanna do one job with me?”
“How many... times have I heard that?”
Bad memories surfacing?
Displeasure crossed Shine’s face.
Before she could erupt, I quickly continued.
“I’ve got this killer business going. But an unexpected variable popped up.”
“...Business?”
Shine’s ears perked up.
“Yeah, business. Don’t you need money? Think about it. Time to grow your clan... can’t just let the one you built roam the streets, right?”
“Hmm, go on.”
She was almost hooked.
A smile tugged at my lips.
That’s when Shine’s voice came.
“So...”
“...Hold on.”
Shine cut me off with a stern tone, eyes gleaming as she growled.
“I’ll decide after hearing it all. What you want from me. Your situation. What you can promise me. Spell it out, nothing left out. If not...”
Her hand slyly rested on the demon sword’s hilt.
‘...Learning creature, huh?’
After a few deceptions, her guard was sky-high.
But fine.
This time, given the stakes, I planned to lay everything bare.
‘One Azure Ice mage squad would cover it big-time, but...’
If not, Shine would be a huge asset.
“Alright, where was I... right, since we’re starting, let’s begin from break.”
I explained to Shine: the Fairy Dance, Amera region, Blandoga Family, up to Baharmut—the whole chain.
The tale reached Evelin, drawing near the recent...
“So.”
Shine, who’d listened with eyes closed, lifted her lids.
“To sum up, you need my power against Decullan? And in return, a cut of the auction profits?”
“Exactly.”
At my ready agreement, Shine slightly furrowed her brow.
“...You?”
“...?”
“You, sharing profits? Hard to believe.”
What the...
I couldn’t hold back a sigh at Shine’s deep-seated distrust of people.
“Want a contract or something?”
“Don’t spew nonsense. What does a scrap of paper prove? You swearing on it? Even a dog wouldn’t buy that!”
...This sounds familiar.
“That... desperate for my help?”
“...”
“Not hard for me to lend strength. I’ve long thought those Decullan bastards need a thrashing.”
Her tone softened from the sharp edge moments ago.
That voice stirred an odd déjà vu. Overlapping with the future I’d seen in Baharmut.
But the flow wasn’t bad.
‘This might actually work...?’
Cherishing that sliver of hope.
“Bow your head.”
“...?”
I stared blankly at Shine.
“Desperation shows in actions. One deed moves hearts more than three inches of tongue. So...”
Shine curled her lips, wagging a finger from above down.
Her white fangs gleamed unusually, her voice worming into my ear.
“Say it like this: ‘Great Lady Shine, please lend your strength to this vile wretch.’ Oh! Add this too. ‘Vile! Vile! Vile!’”
“...”
Wha, t, the, fu, ck...
If eyes could curse, mine would be spewing profanities at 30,000 per second?
Amid rising humiliation, Shine said.
“Ah, so you’ll fight alone? Fine, I respect your choice. Teamed up once and it soured; never see each other agai—”
“Wait.”
I urgently stopped Shine as she rose.
The smile on her lips deepened.
I saw it, bit my lip hard, and bowed my head.
“Gr, gr, great...”
No further explanation needed.
It was too humiliating.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“So...”
I laid out my plan in detail to Shine.
...Anyway, thus the Sword Plain’s original owner joined.
Time flew by after that, and soon.
[1st Black&White Grand Auction]
- 4th Week Sunday
The day of reckoning approached.