I Will Carry as an Academy Veteran

21

I left the Central District and headed straight to the Knight Department.

The Magic Department and the Knight Department are divided around the Central District, and the distance is far enough that they rarely meet.

Even I came here now to put that guy in the punitive force, I don’t usually have any reason to come here.

That’s how distant the atmosphere is.

The Knight Department’s characteristic is that they wear gym clothes more than uniforms, always carry something to eat in their hands, and unlike the quiet Magic Department, they are bright and lively.

Even in this world, magic is a field that requires a lot of money to learn, from numerous magic textbooks to wands, robes, so the notion of being exclusive to the nobility is prevalent.

Therefore, even if a commoner has a lot of magical power, they first enroll in the Knight Department where uniforms and wooden swords are free, and during the semester, they take exams to find their talent and change departments.

Anyway.

Without a weapon, nor dressed in gym clothes. Walking as if defying the bustling crowd, attracted quite a bit of attention.

“…It’s Adriane from the Magic Department.”

“What? That reckless Repelhight guy?”

“Stay away. He may have been expelled, but he’s nothing but trouble.”

Too much gossip going around to even care anymore.

Well, I was once part of the Repelhight clan too.

Isn’t the hot potato in this Knight Department right now the Repelhight family?

The Repelhight who knocked down everyone in the freshman competition.

After wandering this much, that guy, who is unusually insensitive, must have noticed, so we turned into a deserted alley.

As expected, a familiar voice was heard.

“Why are you here?”

…Hmm, has he finally shown up?

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

As if carrying a heavy weight, but something seems off from the posture of the back or the angle of the legs.

A model student following the troublemaker sloppily.

Seeing that.

“Phew, huff.”

“W-what… what… are you laughing at?”

“Oh, no. It’s a mistake. It’s nothing.”

“A-alright. Today, the life-or-death decision will be made here. Once I slit your throat…”

The blade slipping away.

It can’t happen.

I immediately reached out my hand.

The advancing palm blocked the fellow’s blade.

Being blocked here means the fellow has no intention of defeating me.

“Are you a fool?”

“H-how dare you…!”

The fellow, in anger, seemed about to draw the blade, to strike now, to desire your execution, after a few words of that, took a deep breath.

“Why have you come? So. Let me tell you in advance, if it’s a pointless conversation, I’ll just leave. I don’t have time to waste on you.”

“Nor do I. I just came because I heard you emerged victorious in this duel as well.”

“Are you here to praise me? Huh, there’s no need for that. It’s natural as the top student.”

“No, I’m not here to praise you. On the contrary, do you think I came all the way here to praise you?”

In fact, the truth should be told.

Isn’t that right?

Upon which the fellow’s face turned red and purple.

Look at those cheeks.

If you poke them with squirrel-like sunflower seed fingers, they seem like they’d burst in no time.

“You’ve come only to verify the truth. Swear on your conscience, did you truly not allow even a single strike? Was there nothing unusual?”

“What, are you doubting me now?”

“I’m not doubting you. I acknowledge your skill as well.”

“Y-you? What? Acknowledge? My skill… you… acknowledge it?”

What.

At my words, the fellow bowed deeply, tapped the ground with his shoe, carrying a hidden meaning.

Why is he acting like that?

“Do not display behavior that displeases me.”

“Ugh, understood. You’ve always been like that. Not a single word out of line.”

“So? Was there anything unusual?”

“Huh, even if there was, do I have an obligation to answer?”

This fellow…

“There was, indeed.”

“Ugh?! H-how did you…?”

“You cannot lie.”

A characteristic of Ebnis, incapable of lying.

This guy tries to be a ‘just person,’ so he doesn’t lie first.

But oddly, when something embarrassing happens, he only lies when hiding his heart.

Maybe that’s something that unconsciously pops out.

“I-I still won’t talk!”

“Alright, let’s make a deal. If you tell me, I’ll also tell you why I came here today.”

“…Hmm.”

“It’s not a losing deal, right?”

After pondering for a moment, the guy nodded.

“Okay, let’s do that. To cut to the chase, it wasn’t entirely absent.”

“Not entirely absent?”

“E-Erian or something? As I tried to receive Cha Seok’s sword, seven colors shimmered from the blade. It was coming straight at me… I thought I was done for.”

Yeah.

Hero’s Sword. So far, it’s the same.

But.

“Your face came to mind.”

What?

…What did you say?

The unexpected response made the mind halt.

“What…?”

“You seem to have a strange misunderstanding, but before killing me, stop. Your shameless face came to mind in that fierce attack. So, I swung down with all my might. As I swung down to kill, you suddenly bounced off, right? So, I just struck with my throat sword and subdued you.”

Oh, insane.

This.

【Descendants of the Beginning】has been activated.

The Hero’s Sword, containing the transcendental power of the seven elements, is not enough; it’s a ‘definite one-hit unstoppable attack.’

And she, in turn, countered it with her own ‘Descendants of the Beginning,’ a definite one-hit move.

Evniss’s strength is truly comparable to that of a ‘god,’ so even Erian wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.

‘…Is this how it goes?’

“Enough, now you answer. Oh, right. You mentioned being involved in the dormitory monster incident. Hmph… but you seem fine.”

“No, my whole body was covered in blood.”

“What? You’re okay, right?”

Evniss, looking at my left arm in surprise, then turned his head with a cough.

…In any case, he’s quite the unpredictable guy.

“You seem to be fine… Ah, right! Answer quickly!”

“I came to make a proposal.”

“Hmph… even if it’s your proposal, it’s the most wicked and evil… .”

“Stop.”

I covered his mouth and briefly explained what had happened so far.

“Got it?”

“…This is definitely something we can’t just sit back and watch. So?”

“If we resolve this, won’t it also apply to your achievements? It could be a solid foundation for you to compete with me head-on.”

Ebenis nodded.

“Yes, not too bad. I will join the punitive force too. But… What do you gain from this?”

Gain?

What gain?

“Your proposal is overly advantageous for me. I don’t like this. I want fair competition, not this kind of biased rivalry.”

I stared at Ebenis with my mouth slightly agape.

“Well, what is it? If you have a complaint, speak up!”

“No, it’s not that. I was just momentarily shocked.”

What gain would I… get?

“I already have gained something.”

“…What is it?”

“Do I really need to explain? It doesn’t seem like we’re close enough to share each other’s secrets.”

…Milije Halo.

That is truly the greatest gain I’ve obtained.

Anyway, since I’ve put Ebenis in the punitive force, I’ve achieved my goal.

Before leaving, I decided to nag a bit.

“By the way, try talking to Chasek Eran. He’s a better guy than you might think, with his own beliefs. You two might get along quite well.”

“Sorry, but I want to focus on my work. And the person I need to watch and restrain the most right now is not Erban or Erian, it’s you. Adrian.”

She points at me.

Oh, is that so.

I turned around.

“No, where are you going! I haven’t finished speaking yet!”

“Go see Reyna Von Wolfang tomorrow morning. That’s all.”

“Wait!”

Ignoring his shout, I quickly walked down the alley, different from everyone else.

I’ve succeeded in recruiting Ebenis for now.

Now, I just need to put the final piece in place.

A character that must be present for the boss battle.

Even if it’s not an excuse for the boss battle, making connections somehow will surely be helpful in the future.

…For some reason, the flag has been completely destroyed now, and I’m not interested in whatever Erhan does.

Everyone says she’s the Knight of Light.

Lumen Ribens.

Can I persuade her with words?

Honestly, I doubt it.

So.

I doubt I can’t take her.

***

Knight of Light, Lumen Ribens.

Senior in the Knight Department, representative.

And a genius in the history of the Knight Department at the Selenium Academy, with an illustrious history that is unparalleled.

Her swordsmanship is a light that illuminates the world itself, and she is praised as the light itself.

However.

Despite her outstanding abilities, the Rebenz family, known as Rebirths, is a poor playwright from the imperial border somewhere, her only darkness and flaw shining like light.

At midnight.

I left the dormitory and climbed up to the back of the Rubrium Hall.

If you keep time here, you can meet. It could be called a kind of fixed appearance spot.

I’ve been here quite a lot to progress her route from the original Erdan to Play.

With a feeble stamina, I finally made it to the top, where I could meet a woman kneeling reverently with a sword stuck in the ground.

“Who are you?”

It was a calm tone of voice.

“Reveal your name. Clarify your identity and tell me the reason for coming to see me.”

Silver hair as cold as ice.

And red eyes.

Tied the sword to her waist, wearing a school uniform instead of gym clothes. Seeing blood stains on the white uniform here and there, she must have been to the field.

With her current specs, she can easily break through the deserts, forests, and inner fields without any companions.

This dialogue, this situation, and the person on the opposite side.

I smiled lightly.

Lumen Rebenz.

If I said I didn’t know her… that would obviously be a lie.

But, I don’t know the figure called “Lumen Rebenz.”

I put my hand on my shoulder, lightly knelt on one knee, and said.

“It is an honor to meet a noble person here.”

“……”

“I used to be in Repel Heights, but now I’m just a commoner, Adrienne.”

Lumen Rebenz.

Of course, the name Lumen Rebenz is an alias, and even the status as a Rebenz playwright is all a fabricated “fake.”

Her real identity is.

“Rizelirias Deiders de Sarennias, a member of the great royal family, and I greet Her Highness, the 6th Princess.”

Concealing her family and enrolling… royalty.

At that moment.

Swish!

The blade flew towards my neck.

Thud, thud.

The bloodstains I hadn’t wiped away yet slid down the blade and fell towards my shoulder.

I waited for the continuation with my eyes closed.

How did you know my identity? To such an obvious question, I had prepared hundreds of answers.

Well, challenge me, Princess.

“Someone said it was you, Adrian.”

?

The script is different?

“Why did you come looking for me?”

……?

Over there.

Were we acquainted…?