Chapter 75: Claire is coming!!
“We have defeated the liches! Everyone! This is the last spurt!” Honey rallied the collapsed mages. Even Alicia was run ragged, her breathing uneven. For the first time in her life, she was almost out of mana. After the third meteor shower while keeping the firewall active, even a rank 7 mage like Alicia was wiped out.
“Hah… It’s finally over.” Alicia sprawled on the floor after the last meteor shower killed the last lich. Then, cavalry rode out from the side of the fortress and flanked the archers.
With this move, the horde was exterminated.
“Ugh… will we need to do this again tomorrow?”
“Probably. Unless the arcane initiator was destroyed, they will keep on coming,” Honey said.
“I need to talk to Bernard. He said he was assembling a team to destroy the arcane initiator.”
“Huh? Are you thinking of joining him? That’s a suicide mission! Very dangerous! We can’t lose a promising mage such as yourself!” Honey yelled. “I won’t allow it! Never! Even if this fortress were to fall, at least you and your lady must survive!”
She was stunned. Mages were rare. Only 1 in a thousand could become mages. For Alicia, who was ranked 7 or above, the chance was even lower. Maybe even less than one in a million. There is no way Honey and the top brass were going to let her go on dangerous missions. If possible, they would prefer to lock her in a mansion instead, crafting magical tools.
“Hey, look! Bernard and the others came back!” The mage tower guard who was on watch duty pointed toward the horizon, where Bernard and four other men galloped into the fortress on horseback. They raised their hands in victory. Despite their torn leather armor, which was one step away from becoming rags, their faces were jubilant.
“They left without me! Traitors! Even though I passed the test!” Alicia sulked. Her desire for prestige and fame after completing an impossible mission had been stolen by him.
“Glad they did. I suppose even civilians value mages like we do.” Honey said. She thought they were selfish, valuing their lives more than the society. But this act had improved her opinion of them. At least some knights knew how important mages were.
“Time to go home! Finally!” Alicia smiled. “I can’t wait to return to the academy!”
“Let me treat you sometime when I come around, okay? We all owe you one.”
Alicia then went to the stairs but stopped.
“Um… Am I dismissed, Miss Honey?”
“Yes. You can go. You deserve a break. I will rest here on the couch for a while longer. But if there is an alarm, I need you back here ASAP, okay?” Honey softened her words. Alicia wasn’t a full-fledged knight or mage yet. She was still attending the academy.
“Thanks!” Alicia skipped toward the infirmary. There, Elidranthia and all the light mages had collapsed on a bench, sleeping. Thanks to Elidranthia, all the wounded could be saved.
Alas, while their lives were spared, many suffered permanent wounds.
“We are victorious! There won’t be any more undead! The arcane initiator has been destroyed!” A soldier ran through the hall as Alicia let Eli sleep on her lap. The hall cried tears of joy. It was as if they had won the war.
Then, another officer came to Alicia and Elidranthia.
“Lady Elidranthia, Mage Alicia. Your efforts have been recognized. You shall receive a medal. You and the rest of the academy’s students have been scheduled to return home in two days. We are thankful for your service.”
“Yes, sir!” Eli saluted.
“We shouldn’t expect any more monster swarms right now. I hope you will enjoy your time in the academy. I shall leave good words about you here.”
“Your Majesty! We have received a report that a girl named Claire has transferred to our academy.”
“Hah?” The king was stupefied. “How?”
The king was never superstitious, so he didn’t put any guards in place or ban any administrative actions. But Claire was supposed to be from the Western Kingdoms. A princess to boot. Even though it was not explicitly banned, how could a princess from a warring nation dare to visit her enemy’s nation?
“She was under the recommendation of Duke Slane. He stated that the nation of Lustria is neutral and not a part of what we call a coalition of western nations. He stated that the nation of Lustria operated similarly to our nation.”
“Huh? And he believed that?” The king was flabbergasted.
“Yes. Duke Slane stated that he had another source of information to back up his claim. The nation of Lustria did not border our nation, and we never declared war on them. Although there are some rumors that the nation of Lustria might support the western frontier financially, Duke Slane surmised that they were coerced into doing so by their neighbors.” The spy the king sent continued his report.
“Although Lustria was located in the west, his information stated that Lustria did not discriminate against mages. The nation was small enough that its mages were treated no differently than civilians, each occupying important jobs like ours but without a mage union.”
“Damn.” The king cursed. Alicia’s prediction had come true again. He then turned to his prime minister.
“Nevertheless, Heracles had been disinherited and had no rights to the crown. We shouldn’t fear anything. They just came to study. And even if they were spies, there is nothing of value to be found in the royal academy,” the prime minister answered.
“I hope so,” the king said.
“We are back!” Alicia hopped out of the castle after teleportation. Her cheerful attitude contrasted with the rest of the students, who cried tears of joy after coming back from a horrifying experience called war.
“Great work, everyone. We are thankful for your service.” The officer bowed.
“Phew! The fortress was cool, but there was barely any good food there,” Alicia said.
“I see. Fortresses do shed some convenience for security. We apologize for the inconvenience,” the officer said.
“I don’t want to come back there! We shouldn’t be used for war! I am going to complain to my father!” A student cried out.
Compared to Alicia, who merely complained about food, other students who had never experienced war were visibly more distraught. The officer looked at Alicia kindly. Their opinion of Shadowstep territory rose.
War was inevitable. The mages’ curriculum was too soft.
“We apologize for the horrifying experience. But this is something we must do to protect our nation.”
“Yes! Besides, we aren’t even fighting against humans there! We are fighting against monsters! It is our duty to fight against monsters and protect the people!” Eli pumped her fist.
That’s right. This wasn’t a political war or an invasion. This was a battle for survival against monsters. They must do it.
“The blood! I am tired… I don’t want to be a mage…” Some students looked haggard as they came out of the royal academy.
“Lady Elidranthia! I want a chocolate cake!”
“Yes, yes…” Eli sighed at Alicia’s relaxed attitude. Even after all of this, she still has the energy to ask her for cake.
Deep down, she was vexed. Why should she treat her even though they worked equally hard? Why can’t she receive the same reward? But she shook such envious and dark thoughts aside. Alicia and Eli worked equally hard. Eli would receive her reward from the crown and probably her father, while Alicia would receive hers from her. Alicia might even receive less than she, financially speaking. Eli shouldn’t get angry because of her airheaded attitude. It’s one of her charming points.
“I wish I had your lackadaisical attitude, Alicia.” Eli sighed. “Let’s go get your cake. I am tired as well and wished for a fruit juice. I wonder if the castle has a public cafeteria.”
“Of course. No need to travel to the academy. We shall open our cafeteria for you. Please have some of our finest treats, usually reserved for kings.” The officer smiled and bowed. Compared to the complaining and crying academy students, giving them treats was much easier.
The Duke Bron officer and the king would surely be sighing at the mountainous complaints the mage union was going to file against them. They had not only employed children, but also mages on the front lines as soldiers. The situation was dire, and they had no choice. If Fortress Terie fell, even to monsters, it would open the way for attacks on Duke Bron’s capital. And if Duke Bron were to fall, the empire would be threatened.
“This is a bit too sweet.”
“Sugar is expensive. I bet the chef thought the food would look more luxurious if he put more sugar in it.” Eli sighed at the increasing risk of diabetes every time she bit into the sweet chocolate cake she had ordered.
“Steak!” Alicia gripped her fork and knife when her steak arrived. It was just like her to get excited over delicious food.
“Alicia. How was the war?” Ludwin came over, asking for a report on the war at the front.
“It was awful! It was even worse than in Shadowstep. Monsters came day and night. Hah…” Alicia sighed as she recounted the events of the war. “But we won! Damn Bernard. I said I would go with him, but he took off alone to destroy the spawner!”
“I see. Thor, did he betray orders?” Ludwin turned to his vassals.
“Erm? Strictly speaking, if the general ordered him to go with Alicia to complete a mission but he didn’t bring her, that would constitute either greed for glory or a careless attitude. But in this case, I have to agree with Bernard’s judgment. I don’t know what an arcane initiator is, but I assume it was at the heart of the monster lands. It is not a place for students to go.”
“I see. So he was trying to protect a mage for our future, huh? How admirable.” Ludwin nodded.
“Did Alicia even have the captain’s or the general’s permission to go?”
“Erm… No. Actually.” Alicia said, deflated. Everything was verbal agreements.
“Then there is no reason for Bernard to take you there. Please don’t endanger yourself. A single misstep in the wilderness could cost you your life,” Thor said.
“Well, a lot can happen on the battlefield.” Gladius, another aide, said.
“Well, that’s beside the point. My father said Claire will come in next term. That would mean a month from now. Your prediction is spot on again.”
“... That was fast. I thought we were supposed to graduate from middle school before seeing her.” Alicia stared at Ludwin and his unexpected news.
“And so, I came here asking whether she was dangerous or not.” Ludwin stared at her. “Could you please tell me about her?”
“Hmm… I wonder…” Alicia thought hard.
Yet, as always, her head was empty. In this case, her attention was more interested in the steak before her.