Chapter 246
Chapter 246
The Underground Waterway
Swoooosh…….
The underground waterway was filled with the sound of flowing water.
A bright light spread through the dark passage.
“I heard the second-years are completely wrecking everyone up on the surface?”
“Those idiots. What the hell have they been doing?”
The light came from a group of seven first-year students.
Unlike the other first-years, they were full of fighting spirit and confidence.
“Did you see the expression on that second-year senior who ran away from us earlier without knowing what he was getting into?”
“It was priceless. We could've definitely caught him. Such a waste.”
“We're all Schuler candidates. That practically makes us the elite among the first-years.”
There was a reason for their confidence.
Their win rate in battles so far was 100%.
They were the only first-years who had stood their ground against second-year Schulers and actually won.
Granted, they hadn't earned any points because their opponents fled.
“Let's make sure we don't let them escape this time. We need to raise the first-years' morale.”
Just then.
One cadet with particularly sharp hearing raised a finger to his lips.
“Shh. Someone's coming.”
The moment he spoke, everyone fell silent, drew their weapons, and stared ahead.
Tap, tap…….
As the approaching footsteps grew closer, the figure slowly came into view.
Golden hair.
Emerald eyes that gleamed vividly even in the darkness.
And then.
Fwoosh-!
Flames ignited around her, fully revealing her appearance.
A Magic Tome floated before her, while fierce flames swirled around the staff she held.
Even her hair and eyes seemed to burn like fire itself.
The first-years, who had been blinking in surprise as they watched, instinctively flinched.
Just looking at her was enough for them to realize.
“She looks completely different from those seniors who ran away earlier.”
“Wait... isn't that Her Highness Arlhart?”
“I think so. It's my first time seeing her in person.”
Her noble bearing alone made it obvious she was a member of the Imperial Family.
“How did someone so important end up alone in this rundown waterway?”
“She may be the Imperial Princess, but she's still our enemy right now.”
“This is a match. Let's not go easy on her just because she's royalty.”
That's right.
She's just an Imperial Princess.
She merely looked like someone born into a noble bloodline.
Judging by her abilities alone, she seemed like nothing more than a fragile woman.
Naturally, they underestimated her strength.
After all, compared to a delicate orchid carefully nurtured in a greenhouse, wild grass that had endured fierce winds and rain was far tougher.
These first-year Schuler candidates consisted of former adventurers, low-ranking nobles, commoners, and international students.
They had endured countless hardships before entering the Academy.
Because of those hardships, their magical abilities had become exceptional enough to earn them Schuler candidate status early.
But what about the Imperial Princess?
She had probably lived a comfortable, peaceful life inside the Imperial Palace without knowing hardship.
Servants must have waited on her hand and foot every day.
She could have anything she wanted, so she probably never even had to make an effort.
The first-years couldn't help looking down on her.
……But that was a tremendous mistake.
Boooom-!
In the blink of an eye, an enormous flame engulfed them.
One of the students standing beside them disappeared without leaving a trace.
“What……!”
One retirement.
Instantly.
And it happened to be the cadet who had been boasting the loudest that second-year Schulers were nothing special.
Caught completely off guard, the remaining six attempted to surround Princess Arlhart.
“Maintain formation like this……!”
Boooom-!
Another explosion of flames.
Six became five.
“Don't panic just because we lost the two weakest! Honestly, they weren't much of our fighting strength anyway…….”
Four.
“Get yourselves together and counteratt……!”
Three.
“Fall back! At least the rest of us need to retre……!”
Then two.
“Don't come any clo……!”
Only one remained.
“Hiiiik……!”
Tap, tap.
The Imperial Princess slowly walked toward the final trembling cadet.
Not a single emotion showed on her face.
Nor did she say a single word.
……That was precisely what made her terrifying.
The Imperial Princess they had dismissed as nothing more than a flower raised in a greenhouse...
Was strong.
Absurdly strong.
The gap between her and the seniors they'd faced until now was overwhelming.
“S-Sorry, Your Hi…….”
Before he could even finish speaking, the final first-year cadet was swallowed by flames and disappeared.
“…….”
Swoooosh…….
Silence fell over the waterway.
Only the lonely sound of flowing water remained.
Tap, tap…….
Arlhart, walking alone through the darkness, suddenly stopped.
“Ugh…….”
She staggered and braced herself against the wall before letting out a heavy sigh.
She had consumed an enormous amount of Mana all at once through sheer force.
She wanted nothing more than to sit down and rest.
……But the Imperial Princess simply continued walking through the waterway.
No one.
Not a single person.
Could understand the burden she carried.
Of course they couldn't.
She never spoke about it.
She always pretended she was fine.
It couldn't be helped.
She couldn't afford to appear weak.
That was the path of a ruler.
……Last winter, when Arlhart first encountered the Witch inside the Clock Tower, she had received an enormous shock.
Ruga was a hero of the Empire.
Having kept him by her side for years, the Imperial Princess had never once seen him injured.
Not only that.
Ruga had never been defeated by anyone.
He was always praised as the Empire's greatest military asset.
Because of that, Arlhart had believed Ruga was the strongest person in the world.
……Yet the Witch was powerful enough to inflict grievous injuries upon even him.
And that Witch had infiltrated the Academy.
She was hunting Arlhart's life.
At any moment.
In any place.
The Imperial Princess could die without anyone even hearing her scream.
That reality weighed upon Arlhart with indescribable pressure.
It wasn't death itself that frightened her.
If her time came...
If she had to sacrifice herself...
She was fully prepared to embrace death.
What Arlhart truly feared...
Was someone using her death.
Because...
From a young age, she had witnessed countless dirty political schemes built upon the deaths of others.
Arlhart was the Empire's First Imperial Princess.
She held the second-highest authority after the First Imperial Prince, the official heir to the throne.
There were countless ways people could exploit the death of a royal with such immense political influence.
In the worst-case scenario...
She knew it could even trigger a major war.
Her death could also lead to someone innocent being falsely accused and executed.
Arlhart did not want her death to become another political tool manipulated for someone's convenience.
One thing was certain.
If she were killed by the Witch...
The consequences would spiral completely out of control.
Even innocent people would lose their lives because of it.
……Therefore.
For their sake as well.
She absolutely had to...
“Haa... haa…….”
Not give up.
Not cry.
Survive.
Become stronger.
……And kill the Witch.
But at her current level, it was impossible.
If she wanted to survive against the Witch, she had to become far stronger than she was now.
“……It's not enough. This isn't enough.”
The overwhelming pressure had certainly helped her grow tremendously.
But at the same time...
It felt as though she was slowly losing her peace of mind.
Of course, she trusted her bodyguards, Curio and Ruga.
But she couldn't rely on them forever.
Nor was she someone who should be led by them.
She was the ruler who had to lead them instead.
Because of that...
The Imperial Princess continued walking.
……I have to survive.
I must become stronger.
Repeating those words to herself over and over, Princess Arlhart walked onward through the waterway.
Jennings' Strategy Room.
After issuing the order to attack, Jennings watched the situation unfolding beyond the screens with great interest.
Thanks to the reduction in first-year numbers, the second-year offensive was progressing smoothly.
Jennings turned his attention to Kunking's screen.
Seeing him cooperate with Villed after whatever change of heart he had experienced, Jennings had wondered whether Kunking would begin working with the other second-years as well...
But Kunking still refused to cooperate with anyone else.
He was crushing the enemy entirely on his own.
Apparently, the only cadet he was willing to cooperate with was Villed.
Jennings switched the screen to Villed once again.
Somehow, Villed had obtained cake and was chatting leisurely with Kaylin while eating it.
He couldn't hear their conversation.
But it certainly wasn't a meaningless meeting.
“Hoh... so this time, his target for negotiation is Kaylin.”
Jennings watched eagerly, anticipating Villed's true purpose in approaching her.
“Hm? The key?”
Kaylin looked back and forth between the key hanging around her neck and Villed before repeatedly shaking her head.
“Nope, nope. Professor Jennings told me I absolutely can't give this to anyone else.”
“Oh, come on. Looking at it won't wear it out.”
“……Mmm.”
Kaylin let out a troubled groan before finally making up her mind.
“Alright. But only for a little while! You have to give it right back!”
“Of course.”
Villed accepted the key from Kaylin and examined it from every angle.
“It really is excellent craftsmanship.”
“Right? Isn't it pretty?”
Kaylin smiled, having completely lowered her guard.
Even if Villed suddenly ran away, she could simply chase him down with magic.
Besides, she was convinced he wouldn't run.
“The sky is really clear.”
While absentmindedly turning the key over in his hand, Villed suddenly looked up at the sky.
“The sky?”
Without thinking, Kaylin followed his gaze upward.
A flawlessly blue sky stretched endlessly overhead.
For some reason, the sight stirred something deep inside her chest.
Looking at the endless heavens reminded her of soaring through the skies atop a dragon in the Snowy Mountains.
“You know, that friend of yours who made those protective gear...
You have to introduce me someday.”
The dragon who had become Kaylin's friend had asked her that several times.
Still gazing at the sky, Kaylin remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
“Young Master... don't think I'm weird when I tell you this.”
The dragon had made Kaylin promise to keep their friendship a secret.
But there was only one person the dragon had permitted to know about their relationship.
Only Villed.
No matter how impressive Villed's protective gear craftsmanship was, that alone wasn't enough for the dragon to ask for an introduction.
There had to be another reason.
That's why...
Even though everyone else looked down on Villed...
Kaylin had always considered him special.
That was why she'd become interested in him.
“How about we go visit the dragon together in the Snowy Mountains sometime? I don't mean to hunt it. This is a secret. I'm only telling you because I trust you to keep it.”
Because Kaylin trusted Villed, she was about to reveal something she should never tell anyone.
“The truth is... I became friends with a dragon. So I thought maybe you could become friends with it too……”
Yet no matter how long she waited, Villed gave no response.
“Hm? Young Master? Why are you so quiet? I just meant we could go like it was a picnic. You don't have to think about it so seriousl…….”
Feeling awkward, Kaylin turned to her side.
……Then she blinked.
The chair where Villed had been sitting only moments ago...
Was completely empty.
“……Huh? Wait? What?”
Making confused noises, Kaylin leaped to her feet and frantically looked around.
……There wasn't a single person anywhere across the vast field.
“Where did Young Master disappear to so quickly?”
It was as though the person she'd been talking with all this time had been nothing more than Young Master's ghost.
He had vanished without a trace.
“How strange. ……Ah.”
Only then did Kaylin's eyes widen.
She finally realized it.
The precious thing she had carefully protected all this time.
The treasured item she had confidently believed no one could ever steal.
“……My key! You can't just take it with you!”
Kaylin's desperate scream echoed across the open field after she finally realized she'd been completely outplayed.