Chapter 247
Chapter 247
Before the Battle
The second-year Schuler camp.
Before the battle truly began, the second-years were leisurely chatting among themselves.
“So, how much do you guys know about the Block?”
At one male student's question, everyone yawned as though they couldn't care less.
“No idea. Isn't it just a really huge golem?”
“It's a siege weapon that destroys castle walls.”
Another student beside him chimed in.
The cadet who had first brought it up clicked his tongue and puffed out his chest.
“Jeez, seriously. Read a book once in a while. The Block is an ancient weapon left behind by the Great Sage Gilley. It's unbelievably durable by default, and it's supposedly enchanted with mysterious magic that completely nullifies any spell the moment it touches it.”
“It nullifies magic?”
“That's why it's mysterious.”
The male student glanced around before lowering his voice conspiratorially.
“I heard that Block is hidden deep beneath the Academy. Apparently, there's a rumor they'll temporarily bring it out and let someone summon it during this match.”
“So you're saying the students are supposed to summon that thing and fight with it?”
“Yeah. It might be a replica... or maybe it's the real thing.”
Someone frowned in confusion.
“But why would they let us summon the Block in a mere school competition?”
“Maybe they're letting us practice with it in case there's a real need to use it someday?”
The others shook their heads.
“What are you talking about? If there's ever a day when a ridiculous weapon like that gets used for real, it'd only be because an actual war broke out.”
“If someone started a war against the Empire, their entire country would be wiped off the map. Who'd even dare?”
As the discussion spiraled completely out of control, the male student who had started it all hurriedly waved both hands.
“Hey, I already said it was just a rumor! Just a rumor!”
“We call that complete nonsense.”
The sharp retort drew a round of laughter from the group.
“Anyway, focus already! We're moving on the watchtower!”
Meanwhile.
Villed had stolen the Block's key and fled.
The two people inside the Strategy Room had witnessed the entire scene unfold in real time.
“…….”
Jennings was trembling so violently that his glasses had slipped crookedly down one side of his face.
“…….”
Chariot stood expressionlessly beside him, drenched in cold sweat as she carefully watched Jennings' mood.
It was the kind of explosive atmosphere where even breathing felt dangerous.
“Contact Dedencman immediately through Magical Communication.”
His voice was quiet.
“Tell him to return the key to Kaylin at once.”
Hearing Jennings' calm words, Chariot squeezed her eyes shut.
Ah, Professor.
Why are you doing this to me?
You know Dedencman can't be contacted…….
Villed was the only cadet whose Mana was so abysmally low that Magical Communication simply didn't work.
Forced to answer, Chariot painstakingly gathered her courage.
“……As you already know, Professor, Student Villed cannot be contacted.”
“…….”
Jennings' hands began trembling violently.
In the end, it was Jennings himself who contacted Kaylin through Magical Communication while she anxiously panicked after losing the key.
“Kaylin. I saw you lose the key that should've been as precious as your own life. Excellent. If this had been a real battlefield, it would've been a truly remarkable accomplishment.”
He paused.
“Though it's regrettable that the accomplishment belongs to the enemy rather than yourself.”
Kaylin apologized over and over, insisting she would immediately capture Villed.
Jennings cut her off without hesitation.
“Kaylin. Remain where you are.”
Since everyone else had already gone on the offensive, Kaylin—the minimum defensive force—had to remain behind.
After unilaterally ending the communication, Jennings pressed his aching temples.
“Assistant Chariot. Have you figured out what Dedencman is thinking?”
“…….”
“What trick is he trying to pull?”
“…….”
“Answer me, Assistant Chariot.”
“…….”
“No answer.”
Jennings narrowed his eyes.
“Then I suppose you think the same as I do. We have absolutely no idea what's going on inside his head.”
At that moment—
Bang-!
Chariot's shoulders jerked upward as something exploded atop the desk.
“Doing something neither you nor I can understand, Chariot. Just what the hell are you trying to do, Dedencman……!”
Craaack-!
The grinding sound of Jennings' teeth echoed through the room.
After witnessing the results of the previous Mock Battle, Jennings had judged Villed to be a promising talent and had grown quite fond of him.
He had even gone so far as to imagine hiring him as an assistant after graduation.
Before this match had even begun, Jennings had been too embarrassed to personally hand over the rare map, so he'd asked Chariot to deliver it instead.
He simply wanted to help, even a little, because he wanted to see Villed excel.
And until the early stages of this Official Match, giving him the map had indeed felt worthwhile.
Dedencman had become the only second-year Schuler capable of convincing Kunking to cooperate.
He had exceeded Jennings' expectations time after time.
……But now.
That trust had been completely betrayed.
The Block was the single most important element of this battle.
Yet Villed had stolen it from Kaylin without consulting anyone and fled.
“I never should've trusted that damned thug! I never should've acknowledged him!”
Jennings ground his teeth.
“Damn you……. Damn you for repaying my goodwill and trust with betrayal! How could you humiliate me like this?!”
Swinging his arm through the air as though smashing something invisible, Jennings summoned a green magic circle.
It was a large-scale Magical Communication addressed simultaneously to all thirty-six Schulers except Villed.
“Capture Dedencman.”
His voice thundered.
“If he escapes, everything is over!”
Bang-!
Jennings slammed the desk again.
“Craaack!”
The desk split cleanly in half and collapsed.
“This is nothing less than the greatest disgrace in all of Yggdrasil!”
His murderous voice rang through the room.
“You must capture him……!”
After ending the Magical Communication, Jennings still wasn't satisfied.
He stomped repeatedly on the shattered desk.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
Bang-! Bang-! Bang-!
“Dedencman... How dare you... How dare you make a fool of me?!”
His twisted face was filled with profound betrayal and humiliation.
“One bastard has completely ruined this sacred competition involving hundreds... thousands of people.”
Cursing his own foolish expectations, Jennings roughly ran a hand through his hair.
“A thug is still a thug in the end. This is what happens when I listened to that old man Tote and allowed a worthless street thug into such an important match.”
Grinding the broken desk fragments beneath his shoe, Jennings spoke coldly.
“Regardless of the outcome of this match, I will refer Dedencman for severe disciplinary action due to his deliberate obstruction.”
No matter what happened.
He would make absolutely certain the traitor Dedencman was punished.
Jennings swore it to himself.
Meanwhile, in the first-year camp.
A male student crouched with both hands covering his ears while the surrounding first-years waited anxiously.
His Unique Skill was 'Interference.'
A rare ability that allowed him to tap into and listen to someone else's Magical Communication.
Sweating profusely from the enormous Mana consumption, the student suddenly cried out excitedly.
“O-Oh! I can hear it now! I can hear them……!”
“We don't have time! Hurry up and tell us! What did they say? What's their strategy?”
“Senior Villed…… stole the Block's summoning key and ran away……!”
“……What?”
“Are you sure you heard that correctly?”
“Could they have deliberately leaked false information like they did when they tricked us earlier?”
“No! Absolutely not! I just listened to Senior Kaylin's Magical Communication! It sounded like Professor Jennings was giving her a massive scolding!”
The cadets all wore troubled expressions.
“So if that guy ran off with the Block……”
“Wouldn't it be better if we stole it ourselves?”
“How are we supposed to capture Villed? The second-years are attacking us right now.”
……But not long afterward.
The second-year offensive suddenly came to a halt.
The second-years also looked completely bewildered.
“Villed…… stole Kaylin's key?”
Even Elined, who was leading the assault, and the other second-year Schulers all wore expressions of utter disbelief.
“Why would Mr. Villed do something like that……?”
Ren looked equally unable to believe it.
Nevertheless, following Jennings' orders, they soon began retreating.
“Huh? The second-years are leaving. They really are! They must be going to look for Senior Villed!”
“……Wait. So he really did steal it?”
“Ahem! My communication abilities are truly the best in the wor…….”
Leaving the eavesdropping student behind, the cadets gathered together and whispered among themselves with grave expressions.
“How did Villed manage to steal the Block from Senior Kaylin? The difference in strength between them isn't even comparable.”
“He definitely didn't take it by force. He probably used his prestigious family to threaten her or something.”
“Tsk. He's really a terrible person.”
Everyone nodded in agreement at the voice dripping with contempt.
Regardless of the reason, thanks to his interference, they had escaped the second-years' fierce offensive and finally gained a moment to breathe.
“Let's find Villed before those seniors do.”
And just like that, the first-years also immediately began pursuing Villed.
I was running swiftly while checking the map.
This was a street lined with small medieval-style buildings.
The road was completely deserted.
There wasn't a single person around.
Only I was running through the empty street.
I had just stopped beside a house with a blue roof to catch my breath.
That's when I heard someone's voice nearby.
“Hey, tall mister.”
I turned toward the sound.
There stood the owner of the voice.
“You're friends with Shen, right?”
A first-year cadet.
Although we'd never met before, I already knew who she was.
She had appeared in a photograph Shen showed me when he visited my Upgraded Livestock Shed last winter.
Her dark blue hair was swept to one side and tied neatly into a side ponytail with a black ribbon.
One distinctive feature...
She wore a black eyepatch over her left eye.
Her curious smile perfectly matched the illustration from the game.
……But that wasn't all.
Another person soon stepped forward.
“Don't be rude to a senior you've only just met. Address him properly as 'Senior.'”
Twins.
They looked identical, like mirror reflections.
Yet there was one obvious difference.
The first girl wore an eyepatch over her left eye.
This one wore hers over the right.
Unlike the first, she also spoke calmly and wore a completely expressionless face.
“So what? Anyone who's Shen's friend is family. Anyway, nice to meet you, Mister! I'm Mari Lu.”
“This is my younger sister, Lu Mari. Our names are confusingly similar, so just call me Lu and call her Mari!”
Lu held a wand.
Mari carried a blunt greatsword.
As Mari assumed a battle stance, ready to charge at any moment, Lu playfully blocked her with one hand before stepping forward.
“She isn't very friendly, is she? Instead of fighting, why don't we just chat? Maybe about Shen's childhood?”
They looked identical.
Yet their personalities were worlds apart.
According to the original story, both of them would later return as major villains.
Even now, their abilities were extraordinary.
If I confronted them head-on, I'd be completely helpless and lose the key.
……But this situation was exactly what I'd intended.
My target...
Was only the younger sister.
Mari.
Looking directly at the silent girl, I spoke.
“Alice.”
“Who's that? Wait, were you talking to us? Mister's memory is terrible. Want me to introduce us again?”
Lu tilted her head in confusion.
Mari, however, simply stared at me with a hardened expression.
Confident it had worked, I quietly continued.
“Alice. I need to speak with you alone.”
“…….”
Mari immediately turned toward Lu.
“Lu. Leave us for a moment.”
“Nope. I'm joining too.”
“You can eat my pudding.”
Lu snorted.
“Seriously, Mari! You're trying to bribe your big sister with just one pudding? Who do you think I am?”
“Five.”
“Huh?”
“I'll give you five. Now go.”
“…….”
Lu fell silent, blinking several times before finally speaking after some thought.
“……Can you make it six?”
“Deal.”