Chapter 201
The airship heading to Rikeion wasn’t just from the Academia.
It was the airship of the Central Church.
Inside, there were heroes who had come to observe the final exam under the command of Holy Emperor Liovergo.
“Haha! I’m finally going to see Finn again! How do you feel, Kshanoll?”
The burly middle-aged man, Canthurman, laughed loudly, placing his arm over Kshanoll’s shoulder without permission.
Kshanoll frowned at the gesture as if it was unpleasant. Even though they were teammates, he didn’t enjoy anyone other than Helion being too familiar with him.
“How I feel is none of your business.”
“Stop grumbling! You were relieved when you heard that Finn was alive!”
“Shut it or I’ll get mad.”
“It’s natural for a master to be happy about the survival of his sole disciple, isn’t it? Why are you so embarrassed?”
“…If you say one more word, it’s game over for you.”
“Oh dear, that wouldn’t do.”
During the short summer vacation, the hero Kshanoll had trained Finn.
As Kshanoll reached for his sword, Canthurman kept his distance. Even by mere numbers, the skill gap between them was glaring.
Kshanoll ranked 27th among the heroes.
Canthurman, ranked 77th, wouldn’t be able to handle him.
“Still… isn’t it impressive?”
The youngest of Helion’s team, Gaon, chimed in while listening to their conversation. The person he referred to as impressive was Finn.
“What’s impressive?”
“The fact that he endured the training in the Soul Forge Hall. They say it’s extremely difficult, but Finn overcame such trials, right?”
Although Kshanoll didn’t like Finn being the topic of discussion, he couldn’t deny Gaon’s words.
It was even more so for Kshanoll, who had spent hellish times in the Soul Forge Hall.
In fact, he had thought Finn would go crazy, so he was quite surprised when he heard he had returned to the Academia.
‘I never thought I’d see him again.’
As those feelings resurfaced, Kshanoll muttered with a reluctant expression.
“Only now is he becoming somewhat useful. If he stays a trash forever, he’ll eventually be discarded.”
“He’s always had a strong will. A few years from now, we might have to undertake a mission for the church together.”
“Tsk.”
Kshanoll clicked his tongue.
But just like before, he didn’t outright deny it.
Now that he had come out of the Soul Forge Hall, no matter how much of a loser he was, he would show above-average growth, making it no longer an impossible story.
…And so, the topic about Finn naturally led to discussions about Vargan.
After the summer vacation, Finn was no longer Helion’s mentee, but Vargan was still his mentee, so there was no reason for the conversation not to continue.
Vargan had made quite an impact in Dortmund.
If even the extremely picky Kshanoll recognized his talent, he was undoubtedly achieving more than he did back then.
After all, about four months had already passed.
“Helion, it’s been a while since you last saw Vargan, hasn’t it?”
Gaon asked Helion, who was gazing out at the scenery, somewhat removed from the conversation.
Turning his head at the sudden question, Helion’s eyes, filled with a mysterious depth, now faced them.
Heilion turned his head, his enchanting gaze falling upon them.
“True, I’ve been busy with missions lately.”
It hadn’t been long since Heilion’s team returned from Dortmund and went straight out on another dispatch. Only a week had passed since they tidied up the bishops who had been rampaging due to the archbishop selection and returned to the Central Church, only to board an airship once more.
If they hadn’t been dispatched, they would have had a chance to visit Academia, but that opportunity slipped away.
Heilion recalled the brash-haired hero who had delivered ‘Yggdrasil’s sap’ in his stead to Vargan and couldn’t help but show a trace of disappointment.
Gaon, witnessing this, felt a similar bitterness.
The deaths and casualties of heroes were common occurrences, yet each time it left a gloomy feeling.
“Charlotte hasn’t woken up yet, has she?”
“She suffered injuries severe enough to threaten her life.”
To be frank, it was a miracle that she was alive at all. Her team had been wiped out, and the only one left was a mess both mentally and physically.
“Still, they say her body has somewhat recovered.”
Of course, continuing her hero activities was out of the question.
Heilion held back the negative thoughts, trying to show a positive reaction for the sake of Canella, the only female in the team and Charlotte’s peer.
“……”
Canella remained silent. Knowing just how good of a person Charlotte was, she felt a deep sense of grief but stifled it in favor of vengefulness.
“Salecius….”
The archbishop Salecius, who had obliterated Charlotte’s team. Ever since that day, he had vanished again, with no information on his current whereabouts, leaving Altife untraceable. Canella longed to personally rid the world of that monster. Should he ever reappear, she vowed he would pay a price.
“Oh, speaking of which, the student who dealt major damage to Blurans was Vargan, wasn’t he?”
As darkness deepened over Canella’s expression, Gaon swiftly changed the subject.
This was about Blurans, one of the four elite bishops targeting the festival at Academia. Currently, Altife had risen to the rank of archbishop.
Vargan had fought one-on-one with such a contender, inflicting irreparable damage before retreating.
“I knew from Dortmund that he was no ordinary student, but I was truly surprised to hear he repelled Blurans. They say he used the magic of corruption to prevent his wounds from healing? Heilion, your teachings must have had quite the effect.”
“It wasn’t anything grand. The magic of corruption was something he figured out himself; I only helped him out a few times.”
“Still, if it hadn’t been for you, he wouldn’t have been able to handle that many magical spheres… Ah?”
Gaon stopped mid-sentence, noticing a woman approaching them gracefully.
Everyone except Heilion bowed deeply, displaying a level of decorum that was almost excessive.
She was someone worthy of such respect from the team.
“It’s unusual for Ferangis to approach first. Is something up?”
Heilion asked her.
Then, a voice rich enough to bewitch anyone flowed forth.
“…I just thought it sounded like you were having an interesting conversation. May I join in?”
“Of course.”
Ferangis flashed a light smile as she took a seat, her smooth skin accentuating her crossed legs. A strong scent of perfume wafted from her slight movements, yet it was far from unpleasant.
Ranked second among heroes, the Spirit Summoner Ferangis. A mysterious woman whose age was hard to guess by her appearance showed interest in Heilion’s team’s conversation.
Heilion sensed her intentions.
“Are you curious about Vargan?”
“Well, he’s a rather famous student after all…”
Ferangis’s voice tickled his ears. In her smiling gaze, the deep black pearls of her eyes shimmered with a unique allure. Heilion found himself staring at it intently before speaking.
He said while watching.
“It seems that’s not the only reason.”
“Helion, a man who openly reads a woman’s expression is not attractive.”
“I see.”
Helion showed no particular reaction even to Ferangis’s nasal voice.
Doubting if he even had emotions, Ferangis smiled slightly and opened her mouth.
“My sister has always coveted that outside item, and there’s something else I’m curious about.”
“If it’s your sister… you mean Trisena?”
“Yes. Now that I think about it, it’s not unrelated to Helion, right?”
The woman who slipped from 6th to 7th place in the Hero Ranking due to being overshadowed by Helion.
If Vargan hadn’t taken the Elixir of Life, she would have recorded third place in the Hero Ranking later on.
“Then that’s not a very positive emotion.”
“No? Not really. My sister was indeed eager for the Elixir of Life, but she had no authority at all, right? It was just that the student was quicker than her. It’s rude to see me as such a narrow-minded woman, Helion.”
Her leisurely yet sensuous voice lightly admonished Helion.
Helion felt he should apologize if that was how she perceived it, but his eyes, usually unreadable, stayed the same.
“What’s the other reason then?”
Helion remembered what Ferangis had said and tried to grasp the exact causal relationship.
Ferangis, feeling not too strange dealing with Helion, skillfully manipulated mana and revealed a sheet of paper made purely of mana.
It was a match-up sheet featuring the names of 64 students who made it to the finals, paired up in twos.
Placing the paper on the table, Ferangis pointed to the first match.
Round of 32, Match 1.
Schugenharz Troa Vargan VS Erlich
“Erlich was my mentee.”
Though it was only during Summer Vacation, she had been the mentee of the student ranked 2nd in the Hero Ranking.
Word had it that she was the best Spirit Summoner among the first-years, not just in Rikeion but also in Academia.
Ferangis said with a hint of regret, “If it weren’t for Arha, this girl would have officially become my mentee.”
Seeing the potential and having similar backgrounds as Spirit Summoners, Ferangis liked Erlich, but she couldn’t overlook Arha, who had excessively remarkable talent.
After all, the reason she took on the mentor role was due to the genius rumored to be Arha, so it was only natural.
“Even if she doesn’t quite match up to Arha, Erlich is formidable. You should be nervous even though she’s your mentee.”
“You seem quite fond of her?”
“Yeah… She’s kind and hardworking, so I’ve grown attached.”
Ferangis flashed a faint smile.
As she watched, Helion continued his thoughts quietly. After a moment, seemingly having reached a conclusion, he spoke.
“However, Vargan won’t be a push-over either.”
“What makes you so assertive?”
“I think you’ll understand once you see.”
Helion didn’t bother explaining further.
All outcomes would be revealed in the match.
“He’s my only apprentice, after all.”
* * *
Outside the waiting room, it was loud with cheers.
The spectators and students packed in to watch the first match of the finals.
The one about to face the match, Spirit Summoner Erlich, was extremely nervous.
‘What should I do… What should I do? Why is my first opponent that person?’
She had heard of Vargan’s notorious reputation.
She knew just how terrifying his strength was.
‘Out of 32 opponents, why do I have to fight the top student from Academia…!’
Erlich, unable to sit still due to her anxiety, paced back and forth. She was already a worried person by nature, but this time it was worse.
Feeling uneasy about being watched by many, her opponent was the top student of Academia.
Moreover, the student council president, Edina, had recently stated that they had to win against Academia to secure the 1st place in the tournament, which made her want to cry.
It was enough to make me want to cry.
If I lose here, I’ll definitely be subjected to all kinds of scolding and beatings.
What if I get kicked out of the Student Council like this?
My friends might leave in embarrassment too. What will I do then? Who will I eat with, and who will I go to the bathroom with?
“…Hic.”
As my thoughts spiraled, actual tears started to well up.
Instead of facing the humiliation, maybe it would be better to just run away—
My decent grades at Rikeion were barely held up by ‘luck,’ and I was sure I would plummet into the abyss down there.
Yes, I should just hide.
It would be better to face a disqualification.
“What…?”
Erlikh, lost in negative thoughts.
Alone in the waiting room, she suddenly began to talk to herself.
“What am I… No, how could I possibly win? I’ll definitely look foolish and lose.”
Inside her, something was speaking to her.
To an outsider, it might seem like she had lost her mind, but Erlikh clearly heard it.
A spirit living inside her.
It was cheering her on and boosting her courage.
“Really…? Can I really do it?”
Erlikh gradually shook off her negative thinking. Each warm word from the spirit gave her strength.
She wiped her watery eyes and found the strength to hold her enormous staff.
“…Alright! Then, I’ll give it a try!”
Just as she made up her mind, the announcer’s voice signaled the start of the match, echoing throughout the arena.
It was time to enter.
Ready or not, the moment came.
Erlikh strode confidently forward. As she passed through the long hallway and reached the end, the white light and cheers pouring in from outside crashed over her.
Her body began to stiffen once more.
Forcing her legs to move, she took one step at a time.
Hearing her footsteps drowned out by the external noise, Erlikh stepped outside.
—Rikeion! The Spirit Summoner, Erlikh, who has held a remarkable 3rd place for a year!
The announcer gave a brief introduction.
Erlikh rose above the arena as the students of Rikeion cheered her on passionately.
Her heart pounded like it was about to explode, so she took a deep breath. For a moment, she closed her eyes, calming her frantic breathing.
“……It’s alright. I can do this.”
Muttering softly, she steeled herself.
Then, this time, the audience seats of Academia erupted with noise, and the announcer chattered away.
—Academia! What more needs to be said? The proud genius of the Schugenhartz family, Schugenharz Troa Vargan… Oh, wait?
Tap.
The intense cheers were suddenly replaced by murmurs as the sound of a staff clashing against the floor echoed.
Tap.
While the Academia side either knew or didn’t care, Rikeion and the announcer were clearly surprised.
So was Erlikh.
The opponent wasn’t what she had expected.
Tap.
The staff he held was indeed a standard issue for wizards from Academia, yet it didn’t seem to be used for combat.
A subtle wave of mana.
It appeared to be an action to sense the surroundings.
A man with blindfolds covering his eyes.
It seemed he genuinely couldn’t see what was in front of him, rather than playing some trick.
—Oh, I see? Yes, yes, understood. Now, let’s get back to it. …Ahem. The Schugenharz Troa Vargan of Academia! With this, both players from Rikeion and Academia have entered the arena!
The announcer’s voice had an unmistakable tone of confusion.
But at this moment, the most flustered one was Erlikh, who had to face him.
‘Um…? If I play my cards right…’
No, it actually seemed very possible.
I thought luck was against me, but maybe it was the opposite…?
‘…Could it really be that I win?’
Erlikh felt a strange confidence building within her.
