Chapter 25
Chapter 25: Girls Claiming to Be Villains
The battle was fierce.
Hyacinth, using Wind Spirits as both tank and damage-dealer, detecting everything in her surroundings through the wind—blocking Silen's infiltrations and Yuna's breakthroughs.
Silen and Yuna, deceiving Hyacinth's field of vision and alternating between ambushes and direct assaults.
Despite being a two-on-one, it was neck-and-neck—a match that had every onlooker clutching their hands in suspense.
A battle far too intense to behold in a backwater village like this.
My students…. Have grown so splendidly….
Daisy wept.
Of course, it was Yujin who had truly trained the two of them and seen them through their practical experience—but within Daisy's mind, memories had formed of having raised them brilliantly under her own guidance until they could hold their own.
Yuna, who was kind-hearted yet hid her struggles just as much, and Silen, who was cold on the surface but more than anyone wanted to work hard and succeed…. To think they've grown this splendidly…. Sob. Sniff….
On top of that, the process of raising Yuna and Silen—which had never actually happened—along with the backstories of the two of them had been generated through generative human intelligence, resulting in a scene that read like one from a masterpiece coming-of-age novel titled [A Summer That Shines Like Jewels]: 'Two talented girls who believed in a lacking professor and followed along, gazing up at the sky from the very bottom as they climbed the stairs.'
"Hyacinth. Let's stop this."
"You really think a single Spirit Master can handle a Rogue and a Warrior?"
"There are two of you…. And only one of me…. But the disadvantage in numbers does not decide the outcome!"
Of course, she couldn't quite shake the thought that this side looked like the villains and that side looked like the protagonists…. But, well, good things are good! Daisy decided to stop sweating the small stuff.
Once more, Yuna charged in and Silen took position in Hyacinth's blind spot. Hyacinth's lesser Spirits detected both of them simultaneously—blasting Silen back with a gust and hindering Yuna's movement.
"Ugh…. Hah!"
Hyacinth's expression gradually stiffened.
Spirit magic carries the overwhelming advantage over ordinary elemental magic in terms of ease of calculation and mana efficiency, since it entrusts 'free interpretation of attacks' to Spirits—unique entities with their own thought processes. Yet the very reason it never became mainstream lies in the precision of that free interpretation.
The moment a Spirit missed even the slightest movement from Silen, Silen would without fail bring her dagger to Hyacinth's throat.
That Hyacinth had held on this long was entirely due to her innate talent.
"Huu…. Ha. Haa…."
This marked the fifteenth exchange.
Hyacinth was a mage by nature, and her stamina had reached its limit.
The limit came before her mana did, and one of Hyacinth's knees buckled.
The scales of the battle had tipped.
Yuna and Silen's victory. Everyone thought so.
Everyone, save for one person—Hyacinth herself.
Hyacinth gathered her mana once more. A Wind Spear, ready to be fired at a moment's notice.
Yet its tip was trembling, and her own mana looked to be running short.
If she pushed herself here, it was obvious that she herself would be severely injured by mana backdraft.
Yuna, who always wore a bright expression, now seemed to carry even a trace of irritation on her face.
"Hyacinth. Give up. We've won."
"I am…. The Student Council President of Rudra. What do you know?…. Do you see the students behind me? Rudra is…. A second-rate. No, a third-rate academy. It's filled with nothing but children trying to dream of a future, with only a wind-attribute Grand Dungeon to their name."
"Is she really saying that in front of a Demeter student right now?"
"Where did her conscience go?"
Yuna and Silen clicked their tongues at Hyacinth's outburst.
If you're third-rate, then what are we? Around tenth-rate? Despite clearly having heard that complaint, Hyacinth pressed on. She had an astounding amount of nerve.
"You two came together, so you wouldn't know, would you…? But the students behind me are different. They think that by graduating from this Rudra, they'll become wind-attribute warriors or rogues, or spirit masters and mages like me, and go out into the world. So how could I?…. The strongest in the academy, the council president…. How could I possibly lose?"
"So it's a story about getting specialized skills and finding employment from a third-rate regional academy?"
"And what does being first in the whole school get you here? Do they set you up with a placement in a major adventuring party?"
These words were far too rude, so Yuna and Silen only whispered them quietly to each other.
"I cannot lose…. I'll win here and become a guiding light for the students behind me…. What do you know…?!"
Hyacinth's Wind Spear trembled. At this point, Silen could rush in and knock her out with a single tap of her dagger to the throat.
In the end, Yuna lowered her shield. Partly because she was confident she could block even a full-power shot from Hyacinth right now—but even more than that, because she didn't want to watch her get hurt.
"If you end up injured for the sake of that pride, then what? If you collapse, your father would be quite delighted, wouldn't he? Shall we report to him: 'Your daughter sustained permanent damage from mana backdraft while defending the honor of the Student Council President?' That makes us the ones who tormented you until you suffered an injury you'll never recover from?"
"That…."
"Well. I'll give you a little credit. That you carry a great sense of responsibility as Student Council President…. That you feel the weight of the title of president just as I do."
"Yuna Linforce…."
"But. I don't like you. No—I've come to dislike you."
"What did you say…?"
"I'm a Student Council President too. Of a Demeter that ranks below third-rate, but a Student Council President nonetheless. But have you ever once thought from my perspective? What if the tide were reversed? Would you have spoken to me this earnestly? No, you wouldn't. You'd probably be saying something like: 'We've acquired Yuna Linforce.'"
"……."
"You've been saying nothing but 'Please transfer to our school, Yuna Linforce' the entire time, haven't you? So I'd appreciate it if you stopped making me feel the weight of your responsibility and your burdens now."
At those words, Hyacinth's face went pale.
"You're right. What you say is correct. And that is precisely why I cannot give up. I was foolish to whine."
"You're still going to do it?"
"Yes. Because I am the Student Council President."
"Fine. It can't be helped. Let's settle it between Student Council Presidents."
The air between the two of them burned hot.
A hair-trigger situation. On the eve of a decisive clash.
Though the words couldn't be heard, every spectator in the training ground held their breath, and the tip of Hyacinth's Wind Spear trembled.
And was fired without hesitation—or so everyone thought, but a moment earlier. More precisely, exactly half a beat faster.
"Yes, yes. I've had a fine view of you two presidents and your little pride showdown. Now I'd like to propose a new ending here."
At the voice of the golden-haired, lightly tanned Rogue girl whose dagger suited her best of all, the tightly-drawn thread came to a complete standstill.
Hyacinth instantly pinpointed Silen's position and first confirmed it was not behind her own neck.
Where Silen stood was right beside Ilet—the fallen tank girl from Rudra.
Yuna tilted her head toward Silen's position.
"Silen? What are you doing?"
"Well, rather than watching you two idiots yap about pride and injury and responsibility when you could just be hurting each other—this is more my style. Ahem. Hmm."
Silen cleared her throat and, in a low yet carrying voice that ensured everyone around could hear, she spoke.
"Student Council President Hyacinth. I heard your resolve and your conviction loud and clear. But don't think that pride will hold up in front of a hostage."
"Wh, what?"
"Surrender this instant, or I'll do something very unpleasant to Ilet. I'm a cold-blooded Rogue with no mercy."
"You, you…! You're really…! You absolute piece of—!"
Hyacinth glared at Silen with fury, and Yuna's jaw dropped.
Having become the target of such resentment, Silen lowered her voice just enough for Hyacinth alone to hear.
"What will you do? It's not easy to hold your pride when a student's safety is at stake, is it? The other students would understand, wouldn't they?"
"Ah…."
Silen's gentle voice was like that of someone coaxing a stubborn younger sibling, and a faint smile played at the corner of her lips.
It was then that Hyacinth finally understood.
Silen Artre had given her an escape route—in a situation where she could not possibly back down.
At that sight, Hyacinth blinked several times, and at last smiled bitterly as she raised both hands.
"There's nothing to be done. A Student Council President must prioritize a student's safety over pride."
Following Hyacinth's declaration of defeat.
From behind came the sound of applause—voices praising Hyacinth's honor, and at times, tearful words of encouragement.
Yuna lowered her shield with a wry smile, and Hyacinth mirrored that smile in turn.
Hyacinth stepped up to Silen and asked her:
"Silen Artre. It would have been faster to simply cut me down. There was no need for you to soil your own reputation."
"All the dirty work in this world is for Rogues to do. To a Rogue, a bad name is a better name."
"Huu…. Looks like I'll be transferring to a school with an exceptionally strange pair of seniors."
"That's right. We won, so you'd better start calling us seniors from now on."
The three of them burst out laughing before anyone could say who started it.
The students who didn't know the full details were mildly puzzled—but one female professor who had watched this battle from afar, enhancing her superhuman hearing to catch every word of the exchange in full….
"Sob…. Sniff. Youth…. A scene straight out of a coming-of-age novel…. Aaah…. It's dazzling. Truly…. The best…."
And as, true to her words, one act of youth drew to a close—
Not a single person in that place noticed that one woman who had been watching the fight had vanished.
.
.
.
.
Walking along a country road near Demeter, Milé was lost in thought.
No matter how much I gather up mana, I can't get a read on Senior's mana.
Well, of course. Even if Senior were nearby, would they do anything so easily detectable?
The one in a bind, conversely, was Milé.
This area near Demeter—a backwater, and too much of one at that.
The kind of backwater where opening an alchemy shop nearby would itself seem like a major incident.
At least back in Rudra, she had been able to keep a low profile by setting up a cheap stall in a back alley—but Demeter was, to put it one way…. The kind of countryside where even that was simply impossible.
Senior definitely left Thunder Strike in disappointment. Thinking about why they haven't returned to Master's side either, there are roughly two possibilities.
One: they have something to do.
Two: they don't want to return to Master's side.
Either way, Milé—as Lidia's vanguard—would not be welcome.
And if she were caught off guard by Senior…. She might suffer something far worse than death.
Since Yujin Senior might notice me, I'll abandon the idea of securing an alchemy shop. I'll gather information while keeping my identity hidden as much as possible.
The first place to visit would naturally be the Demeter Grand Dungeon.
If Senior had something to do in a backwater like this, surely he had business with the Demeter Grand Dungeon.
Without obtaining the school's permission of any kind, Milé turned her feet toward the Demeter Grand Dungeon.
Nothing unusual happened on the way.
Not a trace of Yujin's mana could be felt—only that the mana density was ever so slightly higher here.
It'd be a good place to train in magic.
That was about the extent of her impression.
Looking at the stone stele before the Demeter Grand Dungeon, it was recorded that only 'Yuna Linforce' and 'Silen Artre' had cleared up to the 5th floor.
Considering those two's abilities, breaking through to the 5th floor seemed entirely plausible.
Hmm…. So Senior has nothing to do with the Grand Dungeon. Still, might as well check.
In other words, that meant Yujin the Mastermage was not on this stele. It was an extraordinary guarantee of safety.
If it was a Grand Dungeon that produced food ingredients, something sweet might come out from the 1st floor onward. With that thought, Milé's mouth began to water.
"Right then…. Let's go."
With those words, Milé descended into the 1st floor of the Demeter Grand Dungeon.
A midday prairie.
A Grass Cow peacefully grazing on grass.
"What. A Grass Cow…. Hmm…. A dud?"
"No. A jackpot."
"…Huh?"
A familiar voice.
Low and composed, its innermost thoughts impossible to read, and yet brimming with self-assurance and confidence.
Milé turned to confirm the owner of that voice. Standing there was a man.
"Milé. It's been four years. You worked hard coming all the way here. Did Master send you?"
"Yujin Senior…."
"You won't call me Martial Brother anymore? Haha. So it won't be an emotional reunion between fellow disciples?"
"So you were here."
Yujin, the Mastermage.
The great 6th Circle Mage.
Master's top disciple. The mage she held dear.
The Martial Brother she could trust, and the one she respected.
She had always wanted to see him again—
But never, ever like this.
"Before the students finish their fight and return, shall we have a fight of our own? My junior?"
“Well….”
Because being cornered in the 1st floor of a dungeon with a Mastermage blocking the exit was something Milé had never once wished for.