NOVEL NEXT Chapter 116
✦ Chapter 116 – Ellie (1) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
The day after the Trial by Combat, I headed for the healer’s hut instead of the classroom. The Saintess’ treatment had done wonders, and I wanted to avoid running into Eugene so soon after our confrontation.
“She’s healed you nicely. She’s earned her title, that’s for sure…” The beige-haired healer, Tespira, muttered, examining my shoulder.
“You should still be careful for a while, though,” she instructed. “I’ll make you a portion for the inflammation. Drink it twice a day, and don’t even think about lifting anything heavy. Understood?”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But about the medicine you gave me last time… I’m not sure if I should say it worked too well…”
“Oh? That’s a good thing, isn’t it? No need to worry, it’s all part of the healing process.”
“Well, the thing is…”
“What? It’s perfectly normal for boys to have a little tussle. And from the sounds of it, that girl sounds lovely.” Tespira chuckled, patting my shoulder. I left her hut and returned to the main building.
The reactions I received from the first-year students were even more extreme than before. Some glared at me with open hostility, while others flinched and averted their eyes. There were a few who seemed friendlier than before, but they were outnumbered.
It seemed the aftershocks of the duel would take a while to dissipate completely.
“Master Edwin Reed?”
I turned around at the sound of my name. A woman, dressed in immaculate attire, stood before me with a steady gaze.
“May I ask who you are?”
“I am called Ada,” she replied, her tone respectful. “I bear a letter from my master, addressed to you.”
In her hands, she held an envelope crafted from fine paper. On the front, written in a familiar hand, was a single name—
‘Ellie’
* * * * *
I had been meaning to look into Ellie’s situation, especially since Selene’s matters were settled. But why resort to a letter? Why not one of her paper birds, like always?
The answer was revealed when I opened the letter. Ellie wanted to see me urgently. She’d written a date and a time, two days from now. She explained that a letter was safer than a bird, and emphasized the need to burn it immediately after reading.
Following her instructions, I promptly incinerated the letter. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Do people usually send letters like this when there’s nothing wrong?
As much as I wanted to leave right away, I had a time and a place to be. It was best not to keep Ellie waiting. First, I needed to request permission to leave the academy grounds.
“Well, if it isn’t Edwin. Where are you headed in such a hurry?” I heard a voice call out to me.
“Ms. Evangeline. Good day to you.” I bowed my head respectfully.
“At ease.” The blond woman waved a hand dismissively, her long, rabbit-like ears twitching.
“I was on my way to Professor Erasmus. I need to request permission to leave the academy. There’s… somewhere I need to be.”
“Is that so?” She tapped a finger on her chin thoughtfully. “Well, Erasmus isn’t available at the moment. Give me your request; I’ll sign it for you instead.”
“Um…”
I hesitated, but there wasn’t a good reason to refuse. I followed Ms. Evangeline to the stone tower where the Headmaster’s office was located. It had been months since Walter’s incident, but the tower seemed unchanged, not a speck of dust out of place.
“…A hospital visit?” Evangeline asked, her ears perked up.
“Yes, something like that. There’s… someone I need to see.”
“…I see…”
“Ms. Evangeline?”
“It’s nothing. Yes, a visit. You should go.” She stamped the form with a sigh and handed it to me. “Here’s your permission slip. Take care.”
“Thank you. If you’ll excuse me…”
“Wait a moment, Edwin. Have a seat. There’s something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you.”
I had just received the permission slip and was about to leave when the principal stopped me. I couldn’t help but close my eyes, a wave of exhaustion washing over me.
I knew coming to the Headmaster’s office was a bad idea. I already knew what she wanted to talk about.
“You’ve caused quite a stir this time, haven’t you? A student who defeated the Hero in a Trial by Combat! The academy has never seen anything like it.”
“… It was just luck.”
“Luck?” Evangeline’s eyebrows shot up. Then, she burst into a hearty laughter. “Oh, Edwin. You really need to stop selling yourself short. Do you truly believe such a victory could be achieved through luck alone? I suppose I’m not one to talk; even I didn’t see your potential.”
My remark about luck was just an excuse; I couldn’t tell her that I knew Eugene’s story. But Evangeline’s next words took a completely different direction.
“I was looking over your entrance exam reports earlier,” she continued, her expression turning serious. “Every single examiner’s assessment said the same thing — abundant potential, hampered by temperament and Mana Crystallization.”
This was news to me. Come to think of it, one of the examiners did make a remark about my mana flow…
“You could have easily succumbed to your condition and given up. Who knew that a suspension would be what it took to change you so completely?”
“………………”
“Such a turnaround doesn’t come without grueling effort. You laid the groundwork with your hard work and produced results. How can that be dismissed as mere luck? And there’s more—never mind, it’s not important.”
The principal showed me unexpected kindness, which left me somewhat startled. I had braced myself for criticism, especially after messing up Evangeline’s request in such a spectacular fashion.
“Aren’t you… upset?”
“Upset?” She tilted her head, puzzled. “Why on earth would I be upset?”
“Well, to speak frankly, this incident will only serve to make the academy noisier. The Hero and his sponsors have been tarnished before they could even make a name for themselves. So…”
“That’s enough,” she interjected, waving a hand dismissively. “Trials and tribulations are an inevitable part of life. How can one claim to be a hero if they can’t even overcome a little adversity? Besides, I’ve already spoken with Eugenia. I understand what’s happened between you two.”
“You knew?”
“Yes. I considered intervening, but that girl has a lot of faith in you. I’d decided to wait and see how things unfold. All things considered, don’t you think it ended well?”
“R-Right…”
Yet despite what was said, the principal’s expression was burdened with concern. She was probably thinking about Selene.
And why wouldn’t she be? The idea of having the spirit mage join the hero’s party had effectively fallen apart; naturally, she would have a lot on her mind.
In truth, I didn’t feel much different from the principal.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Hoho, there’s no need to apologize, child,” she said, her expression softening. “It wasn’t your fault. Now off you go. I’ve taken up enough of your time.”
“Understood. Then, I’ll take my leave…”
“Yes, yes. Run along now.”
* * * * *
After Edwin left, silence descended upon the Headmaster’s office, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Evangeline’s mind raced, replaying Professor Cedric’s report on Edwin and Eugene’s duel.
Though she hadn’t mentioned it to Edwin, the shock she felt when she first heard about Ediwn’s victory was indescribable.
That Spirit Mage… his friend… she was meant to be Eugene’s third star. At least, that’s what Evangeline had believed. She’d assumed things would proceed accordingly.
And yet… something completely unexpected had happened.
Fate was a constant in everyone’s lives — it may have stuttered, but it always corrected its course eventually. Elf, human, even the Hero… none were exempt from its grasp.
Except… Evangeline had seen only one person who deviated from this rule, an anomaly she couldn’t explain, a mystery even the collective consciousness of the elves couldn’t unravel.
“Edwin, my child. Your opponent was the Hero! The one destined for victory!.”
Part of her couldn’t help but be enthralled. For an immortal being living a life of endless repetition, an anomaly such as myself was… intoxicating. It tempted her to cast aside her mission, to simply observe and see where my path would lead.
How would his existence influence the Hero’s fate? Evangeline had no answers. Her usually clear foresight was for once, clouded.
“…The one who strays from their destined path is bound to walk through thorns…bleeding”
* * * * *
As I left Evangeline’s tower and made my way down the hallway, a door suddenly burst open, and I collided head-on with someone.
“Oof!”
The impact sent the other person, a woman, tumbling to the floor, papers scattering everywhere.
“Ah, my goodness! Are you alright?” I rushed to help her up.
“Huh? Uh? I… I’m fine,” she stammered, righting her glasses. “Sorry about that. I wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m so sorry…”
The woman was none other than Professor Xcelia, the newly appointed first-year Demonology instructor. With her large round glasses and hair tied up carelessly, she exuded an aura of intense scholarly enthusiasm. The dark circles under her eyes made it evident she was exhausted.
Although Professor Xcelia was mentioned in Eugene’s story, she didn’t play a significant role. If I remember correctly, it was just mentioned that her lectures were incredibly comprehensive and that she was an unmatched authority in demonology.
“Here, let me help you with this. Are you sure you don’t need help carrying these?”
“How kind of you. But no, I can’t burden a student with tasks like this. You should go about your own business… hm?”
I handed the papers back to Professor Xcelia. Although she initially refused my assistance, her gaze suddenly fixed on my wrist.
“My, what a beautiful bracelet! The craftsmanship is exquisite.” She leaned in for a closer look. “Wherever did you get it? It seems the work of a true master.”
I glanced down at my wrist. She was looking at a bracelet I had found back in that cave, the one named after Eanna. It had been the last place I visited before coming to the academy. I remembered the strange murals on the walls and the peculiar engravings on the box outside.
However, as far as I recalled, it didn’t seem like a particularly special item. Aside from providing a slight enhancement to physical abilities and being called ‘The Blessing of an Ancient God,’ there wasn’t much else mentioned about it.
Although I had nearly forgotten about the bracelet, Professor Xcelia’s comment momentarily revived that memory.
“I came across it by chance. I’m afraid I don’t know which workshop made it…”
“Is that so? That’s a shame. I was hoping to pay them a visit.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Very well then. Off you go. Don’t want to keep you any longer.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Yes, take care. I’ll see you in the next class.”
With that, I left Professor Xcelia and continued on my way, her words still lingering in my mind.
* * * * *
Xcelia watched Edwin as he greeted her and walked away, her eyes fixed on his retreating figure until he completely disappeared from view.
When she finally rose to her feet, her mind was still replaying the encounter, the image of the bracelet seared into her memory.
“…That’s Astarte’s bracelet.”
She initially doubted her eyes. She had never expected to encounter that item in such a place.
Yet, the more she examined it, the stronger her certainty grew. The bracelet was undeniably familiar to Xcelia. Even the smallest imperfections matched her memory.
Countless years may have passed, but some memories remained vivid, untouched by time.
“But…the Defier? That boy?”
She pictured the image of the student who had helped her again — tall, with jet-black hair, eyes of a dark, brooding gray, his features a surprising mix of youthful grace and a somber intensity that belied his age.
“…Has it finally…?”
Xcelia felt a surge of excitement. Her long-cold heart seemed to throb violently, or at least it felt that way. She whipped around, hoping to catch another glimpse of him. But the boy was already gone.
— End of Chapter —
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