Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Magic Sword Forte (8) - Ending Here and Signing Off
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"Where the hell is that idiot Balzareus off to, and what is he doing?"
Divana, one of the three demons dispatched for this mission under the direct orders of Deception, spat out her complaint.
Her role was to mislead the hero's descendant and goad her into destroying the seal.
For the plan to proceed smoothly, Balzareus and his contractor were supposed to be causing chaos everywhere, drawing the attention of the faculty.
But for some reason, Balzareus hadn't shown up at the academy at all.
It couldn't be something as simple as slacking off or laziness.
It was true that demons were fickle and cruel by nature, but that depended on the situation.
This wasn't some trivial matter—it was a direct order from their lord. There was no way they'd half-ass it unless they had a death wish.
There was only one possibility.
He must have gotten himself into some situation that made it impossible to carry out the mission.
"That sneaky bastard wouldn't go down that easily."
The first suspect that came to mind was Labelosia's grand magus, Delphinaris, but Divana quickly dismissed the idea.
It wasn't because Delphinaris was weak.
In a straight-up fight, she could probably overwhelm Balzareus.
But Balzareus knew that full well himself.
There was no way a demon like him, who'd tell honor to fuck off, would square up against Delphinaris head-on.
He'd surely slithered away to avoid any confrontation, and if he sensed even a whiff of danger, he'd bolt immediately.
The fact that there was no word meant he'd been caught off guard by an unforeseen situation and an unexpected foe.
"...Tch."
Even knowing that, Divana didn't think they should halt the operation right away.
This wasn't just any task—it was a mission their lord had personally assigned to her.
If she stopped now and returned to the demon realm, Balzareus would bear the brunt of the blame, but she couldn't completely escape responsibility either.
Besides, Balzareus's role was just to draw eyes as a decoy.
Having him made things safer, but his absence didn't make the mission impossible.
And Divana had confidence to boot.
"Hero's descendant or whatever, she's just a naive little girl who knows nothing of the world. Corrupting her will be child's play."
The prowess she'd shown in the entrance exam was noteworthy enough, but in a way, that worked in their favor.
Attaining that level of strength at such a young age meant she'd devoted her childhood to relentless training, without a single day of sloth.
The purer the water, the more a single drop of ink can stain it.
Divana knew all too well that someone who'd lived such a rigid, ascetic life would tumble headlong into depravity at the slightest slip.
"You can handle it, right?"
"Yes, Lady Divana. Leave it to me."
At Divana's words, the golden-haired, blue-eyed young man nodded with resolute determination.
He was her contractor—handsome enough to win people's favor, with decent skills and a solid background.
The plan wasn't complicated at all.
Seduction worked regardless of gender, after all.
And sure enough, the hero's descendant, Pina Valestia, readily accepted the young man's proposal.
If he'd approached alone, she might have been wary, so mixing men and women in the party had paid off.
"Let's start by syncing up lightly on the upper floors. Sound good?"
"Yes, sure."
The young man smiled at Pina's compliant nod, and Divana, hidden in his accessory, inwardly cheered.
If she'd bristled with pride or gotten snippy, soothing her would have taken time, but she was following their lead without a fuss. It couldn't be easier.
And she didn't seem the timid type at first glance.
Step by step, build rapport through teamwork—
"......"
The young man's eyes twitched.
He was trying to keep up his charming smile, but he couldn't fully hide his agitation.
The other recruits, brought in to lower Pina's guard, were just as stunned, their eyes wide in shock.
Before they could even act, Pina had dashed forward and slaughtered every enemy. Of course they'd be surprised.
"Hm?"
Pina noticed the stares and tilted her head curiously.
Then, with a hint of unease, she asked,
"D-Did I mess up somehow?"
"No, not at all. Mess up? No way."
The young man hurriedly waved his hands.
"You're just way better than we expected. The Valestia family really is on another level."
"Oh, uh-huh."
Even with the praise, Pina didn't puff up with pride—she just looked a bit embarrassed.
The young man's eyes sharpened.
'Doesn't like over-the-top flattery, huh. Better keep it straightforward.'
"Shall we head to the next area? This time, we'll take the front. Pina, hang back and watch."
If everything was dumped on her, she might suspect they were just leeching off her.
Here, he needed to prove he wasn't just dead weight.
Pina nodded agreeably, and a new battle unfolded between the emerging enemies and the young man's group.
The young man's sword cleaved foes, the warrior's shield held the line, the priest's blessings empowered them, and the mage's spells scorched the surroundings.
Passing the exam and becoming official students meant they had real skill, so the fight went smoothly.
After syncing up a few times, including with Pina, the young man said,
"Whew, that's enough for today, I think. How about we head back together and grab a bite?"
"Um, you guys go ahead. I still have more to do."
"I see."
This was a party held together by money, family influence, and looks—the real say was his.
'She didn't struggle at all in those fights. She's probably gone solo into riskier zones. Backing off now might make her think she doesn't need us and skip future invites.'
"Then let's keep going together. Truth is, we feel a bit short-handed ourselves."
"Really? But, um, I tend to roam around a lot."
"Haha, no worries. I've got stamina to spare."
At his firm assurance, Pina's face brightened a touch more.
She seemed glad to have company that could keep up.
What an easy mark, the young man chuckled to himself.
Or rather, he could chuckle for about 30 minutes.
Combat was an act that drained both stamina and mental fortitude.
In real battles, even ordinary people could collapse from exhaustion in just minutes.
The young man and his group had trained rigorously before enrolling, so they had some endurance, but even they couldn't keep fighting endless waves of dozens of monsters.
But Pina was different.
One strike, one kill.
Every swing of her sword ended a monster.
Meanwhile, no monster attack—be it clubbing, headbutting, venom spit, or anything else—ever touched her.
Often, fights ended before the enemies could even swing, and even when multiple foes turned the tide while others died, Pina dodged effortlessly.
At first, the others joined in; later, they just stood back, dazed spectators.
At the 1-hour mark, the young man thought:
'She's stronger than I imagined. Before Lady Divana's power, even I couldn't have faced her.'
At the 2-hour mark, he thought:
'Can't fathom the effort she put in for that strength. Good thing. All that discipline means she craves rest and normalcy deep down. Hit that weak spot.'
At the 3-hour mark, he thought:
'...This is dragging on. She should be tiring soon.'
At the 4-hour mark, he thought:
'......Wait, did I zone out?'
At the 5-hour mark, he thought:
'.......When... will... this... end?'
There was a limit to ignoring his teammates' desperate pleas for relief.
With a trembling voice, the young man asked Pina,
"P-Pina. Still going?"
"Oh, no! I was just about to wrap up!"
"Great!"
"Gotta eat dinner and come back down!"
"......"