How to Survive at the Academy Chapter 179

Ed subjugation (2)

― ‘Today I have to go out because I have something to do in the living quarters. So don’t look for me until tomorrow morning.’

You have to lose it to know how precious freedom is. Clevius was acutely aware of that fact.

Is it a problem that I don’t really want to go back to my parents’ house, so I stayed at school?

Clevius had gone through all sorts of hardships throughout the vacation, being attracted to Elvira, attending social gatherings among students, and taking basic etiquette lessons.

Clevius, who was gloomy by nature, was going to go outside for a while, but how much would he win people’s favor, but Elvira said that it was important to accumulate experience step by step for this kind of thing, and squeezed Clevius’ collar until the end.

Regardless of this or that, Clevius could not resist Elvira and hung out with her throughout the vacation, but as school started approaching, Elvira had less time to pay attention to Clevius as if she had become busy in her own way.

“Is this… freedom…?”

Elvira’s forced march, which was like hell, also stopped, and if she was sitting alone in the private room of Ophelis Hall, the familiar darkness in the corner of the room greeted Clevius.

Clevius, who was lying on the bed and looking up at the ceiling, was moved by a wave of emotion. The tip of his nose twitched and he even sniffed.

How long has it been since you just lay there doing nothing? When she doesn’t see Elvira, who always ran like a deukdal, her heart feels relieved.

“…”

Like that, Clevius lay on the bed for a while.

The time is the midnight dawn.

Originally, Clevius was nocturnal. He chose to enjoy the quiet atmosphere, immersed in the familiar darkness of the night.

Sensation is static.

Elvira, who was always babbling loudly, wasn’t there, so I returned to my quiet room like I always did…

What remained there was emptiness rather than rest.

“I’m finally crazy too.”

There is no need to become friends with people. Even if you engage in extroverted activities that don’t suit you, the only thing left is scars.

Since most of Clevius’ human relationships ended in scars, he thought that his relationship with Elvira would be the same. She just hasn’t met a catastrophe yet.

Most of those who communicated with Clevius either didn’t speak well of them, or came to despise Clevius.

Clevius himself is also self-aware. The self is never a human figure that someone would like.

That’s why Clevius… It was a daily routine to stare blankly at the ceiling while stuck in the corner of the room like this.

I don’t have to do anything to expand human relationships. He has his own way of life.

“…”

That’s how I hardened my shell, and sighed in a gloomy voice.

To think it was this peaceful without an Elvira. It’s ironic indeed.

Come to think of it, why did Elvira, who was always busy running around, leave her seat?

In fact, I’m not very relieved.

Wasn’t it Elvira who talked about every move and every move to Clevius?

It wasn’t for a day or two that Elvira chattered about things that Clevius had no interest in, such as what she ate for snack today, or that a new store had arrived in the living room.

However, Clevius did not have a particularly good feeling about Elvira’s eccentricity of suddenly shutting up and disappearing.

What are you doing in the living quarters in the middle of the night like this? If you go to the living quarters late at night, all the facilities will be closed.

Not only that, but Elvira, who packs a lot of alchemy reagents and magical engineering supplies right before disappearing… It looked like everyone was preparing for battle.

“…What kind of useless thing did you do again…”

Muttering that, Clevius opened the window of the room. If you look in the direction of Maxes Bridge from the upper floors of the Ophelis building, you can catch a glimpse of the living quarters, but it is only a small part.

“Okay. What am I paying attention to?”

No one was listening, but Clevius murmured and lay down on the bed again.

Now is the time to enjoy the freedom that has been in your hands for a long time.

Clevius turned over on his side, focusing on the comfort of his body.

However, the stillness of the room tickles the back of his neck.

A summer night breeze blows in through the open window. After making the curtain flutter once, it crashes into the back of Clevius’ head and scatters.

Clevius lay still, staring at the wall for a while.

“…”

*

“Tell me without adding or subtracting, Lortel. Did you do anything dishonest while running the store, or did anything that deserved being caught and dragged down? You have to tell me everything without hiding anything.”

“To be honest… I’ve done so many bad things, I don’t know which one to pick.”

I pressed my temples and narrowed my brows. Even so, the pace did not slow down.

I quickly climbed the stairs and reached the fourth floor, where I saw a hole in the ceiling that Ziggs had pushed through.

Should I say tough or ignorant? As if to show off, moonlight streamed down from an open hole in the ceiling.

The rope that Ziggs had been tying also came into view. It’s quite tall, and I was worried that Lortel would be able to climb the rope even if it were me.

I shot my eyes and, without saying anything, Lortel nodded.

“I’ll try it.”

“Catch me and come up.”

My body is also not in a normal situation because of the recoil of the ring.

Even though he has recovered a lot, he still has a slight fever or chronic fatigue, and there are many restrictions, from physical abilities such as stamina and muscle strength to magical abilities such as mana response.

Still, I thought it would be possible to climb on a rope, so I quickly put my foot on the wall and pulled the rope.

Lortel also tied her auburn hair back, rolled her arms up, and gripped the rope tightly.

I held out one arm, and Lortel hung her right arm to share the weight with me. This will allow you to climb up the wall with some ease.

We struggled for a while and climbed the wall of the hallway. If you go up to the roof like this, there will be a ladder installed on the outer wall for roofing work. Climb the ladder down to the first floor and escape towards the camp.

“Ugh, huh!”

Could it be because of weak strength? Lortel’s slender wrists trembled. As I pulled Lortel up with all my might and reached the roof, his hand suddenly reached down from the roof.

― Tak

A hand as slender as Lortel’s wrapped itself around my wrist and pulled me up with a squeaking sound.

It wasn’t great power, but I was able to climb up to the roof with ease anyway.

I landed on the roof as if I had fallen, and I raised my arm and helped Lortel climb up.

“Do you have a hobby of exercising at night?”

“You’ve come.”

“I came with Ziggs. I didn’t expect to cause such an uproar…”

Lying on the roof side by side with Lortel, I looked at my opponent.

Tracyana Bloomriver, the 4th year head of the Ministry of Magic and famous as a model for witches.

The bobbed hair that came down to her shoulders and was slightly curled was the same as before.

Her bluish hair reflects the moonlight, subtly stimulating her pupils.

“Tracyana senior?”

From Lortel’s point of view, he must have been an unexpected person.

Tracyana, the head of the 4th year magic department, is a grade strongman who uses all kinds of high level magic at a young age.

In addition, he has quite a bit of direct combat experience and actual combat experience, so he is quite a veteran among students.

“Why are you here?”

“I came running in a month after my junior said it was dangerous…” would be a pretentious answer.”

It’s grumpy, but it’s not grumpy.

Tracyana flicked a cane the size of her torso and spoke.

“Because Petrin owes Ed Rosteylor something. I’m here to fix that.”

“…Senior Ed? Did you know senior Tracyana as well?”

“We bumped into each other a while ago, so we got to know each other a bit. There is also news that the Ross Taylor family and the Bloom River family joined hands.”

Tracyana Bloomriver is one of the strongest among students.

Among the 4th graders with the highest average level of magic, he is a human enough to occupy the top spot.

There are many things that cause him to rot because of his troublesome younger brother, but he is a person who is sure of his skills anyway.

“I heard all the details from Ziggs.”

Tracyana touched the barrette with her bangs up a few times, and then said that she could skip the detailed explanation.

“I’ll be waiting here. I’ll probably come up soon, so take care of him, and when Taily comes…”

Tracyana thought for a moment about what to say, then continued as if it was nothing special.

“…I have to do something.”

“Thank you for coming so late tonight.”

“Well, anyway, my mother instructed the Ross Taylor family to act as cooperatively as possible.

Tracyana said that, and then jumped down through the hole we came up from.

Settling down in the hallway on the fourth floor, she brushed off the hem of her robe and looked up at us.

“After watching only my classmates who are dully worried about the future while preparing for graduation, it feels good to see juniors like this. Go soon. You don’t have much time.”

Saying that, I put the Robe’s hat on quickly.

He lowered his head and raised his staff diagonally. The magician’s robe with loose sleeves and lower collar, and the eyes shining softly in the moonlight under the hat are impressive.

In the middle of the moonlight pouring down from the hole, Tracyana stood quietly.

I confirmed that figure and pulled Lortel’s hand.

Right now, the key is to keep Lortel as far away as possible. No matter what Dune has planned, it is as long as you don’t hand Lortel into their hands.

After repeating that, I ran again towards the emergency ladder attached to the outer wall.

*

“Elvira, why are you…”

“There are circumstances. I can’t let you go forward here.”

Taily and Elvira are close classmates.

There have been many times when I have been involved in various incidents because of Elvira’s coercion. Anyway, since we shared quite a bit of time like this, it’s been a long time since we’ve been close to each other.

To think that Elvira appeared out of nowhere and blocked Taylor’s path. From Taily’s point of view, her eyes widened.

“I’m sorry, but I’m completely attached to Ed Roth-Taylor, Taylor.”

“what?”

Taylor’s pupils trembled.

The front yard of the store is full of runaway workers.

After tidying up the protruding hair here and there, Elvira opened the door of her alchemy bag.

―Kagang! Kang! Kang!

When the entrance was turned upside down, all sorts of reagent bottles and magical engineering supplies came out.

This is Elvira, who lost all her magical equipment while fighting with Lucy during the last vacation.

However, in just one semester, he recreated an unbelievable amount of magical engineering supplies. Considering that there are so many reagents… It’s to the point where I can really feel how much I’ve been immersed in my personal research.

As it was, Elvira picked up an empty bag nearby and threw it away.

Then, take out a shock-enhancing wave orb, and quickly activate it… A powerful shockwave emanated from Elvira.

― Whoa!

― Kagang! Kagagak!

All kinds of items that fell around Elvira are blown away by the shockwave.

Before long, the front yard of the store was widely spread with items made by Elvira.

All kinds of reagent bottles and engineering supplies are everywhere.

From Taylor’s point of view, it’s full of things that she doesn’t know how to use or how to use.

If you make a wrong move and break a reagent bottle, or if a magic engineering item works, you don’t know how it will affect the battle.

Only Elvira was aware of the effects of all devices and reagents.

At this moment, this battlefield is completely Elvira’s domain.

“You mean you know what Ed Rosteyler is up to?”

“Abducting Ayla and using it as a material for Aspect Magic research? Well, it’s a bit violent, but what can I do? Learning sometimes requires sacrifice.”

“You…”

Taily looked at Elvira in disbelief.

At least, Elby is an academic who keeps the line. He wasn’t the kind of person to have such a ridiculous mindset.

“I never thought you’d say something like that…”

“Let’s not talk too long. I’ll stop you here and end the situation.”

“Elvira!”

Taily gnashed his teeth and looked at Elvira. Momentarily, the pupil widened, and her eyes looking at Elvira became fierce.

Elvira swallowed dryly.

Rather than Ed, it is Elvira who accompanied Taylor on her journey. She realizes more than anyone else that Taylor’s swordsmanship skills are growing at an absurd rate.

Can you fight directly and win? I honestly can’t say for sure.

Elvira is not the type that is good at fighting. The Ministry of Pensions in Sylvania does not study for the purpose of combat. Combat is only possible to some extent.

– Woe!

With just one leap, Taily comes right in front of you. Elvira definitely felt it.

Taily intends to subdue herself even with rather rough means. He certainly wouldn’t intend to kill him, but he could seriously injure himself if he’s not careful.

By moving her feet, Elvira activated the ‘Typhoon Radiator’, a magic engineering item next to her.

― Quaaaaaaaaaagh!

Suddenly, a gust of wind rose, raising a cloud of dust around him that obscured his vision.

Taily swung his greatsword once and brushed away the dust with the sword wind, but Elvira was no longer there.

Elvira, who had spread a distance, took out the ‘red paper glue reagent’ from the floor and was in the middle of pouring it on the floor.

After checking the reagent that had soaked into the floor, Elvira casually threw the empty bottle nearby.

“Why? Is it so strange that I’m stuck with Ed Rosteyler?”

“You… you weren’t like that, Elvira.”

“I have my own reasons.”

Elvira looked at Taylor with sad eyes.

“I have no obligation to explain that.”

From Taylor’s point of view, it was too savage. There is no longer any reason to hold hands.

Taily, who ran with a greatsword, tried to close the distance again to Elvira’s nose. However, a few steps ahead, his feet stick to the floor and do not come off.

“Ugh?!”

As Taily, who lost his balance due to the weight of the greatsword, stumbled, the basic elemental magic ‘water ball’ hit the gap.

The water, which was condensed with great pressure, hit Taylor’s body, and Taylor clenched his teeth at the impact.

“Big, each!”

Elvira’s elemental magic isn’t very high level. However, that doesn’t mean there are no shocks.

Taily gritted her teeth and endured the intense pain, then stood upright.

However, the legs still did not come off the ground. It seemed that the aftermath of the reagent Elvira had just sprayed remained.

‘Red Paper Paste Reagent’

An alchemy reagent that grants the power to attract anything that touches the land. It was mainly a reagent used for mouse traps or traps.

“Taily, you were born with great fighting power and potential, but there is one thing you overlooked.”

Elvira glanced around and spoke. The surroundings were full of Elvira’s inventions.

“You have very little knowledge of alchemy, right?

All of those inventions were only available to Elvira.

“This is already my zone.”

Taily clenched his greatsword and gritted his teeth.

Amidst all the items, the sight of Elvira shaking off her skirt made her teeth gnash.

However, Elvira didn’t care, and took out a small staff from the end of the skirt of the alchemist’s costume she was wearing.

Elvira’s fighting style had always been this way. Taylor didn’t know either.

However, I couldn’t imagine the possibility of encountering enemies. That’s natural.

It was because he thought that Elvira would always be a colleague.

*

“I don’t have time to get the key! Just destroy everything and go down!”

Dune led the workers all the way down to the basement of the shop.

His judgment of the situation is certainly quick.

Some of the shop workers were instructed to keep the entrance closed, and the rest of the workers were ordered to search the upper floors of the shop.

And the decision to quickly go down to the upper basement with the remaining manpower was swift.

The most likely solution now is… It was to secure Ayla, who had been imprisoned in the upper chamber, with his own hands.

Taily McLore’s target is Isla Triss. Once you have that goal in your own hands, you have a lot more room to negotiate.

No matter how you think about it, Ed Rosteyler’s movements are suspicious. Seeing him disappear alongside Lortel, I can’t help but doubt Ed’s movements.

It didn’t make sense from Dune’s point of view.

Ed Rosteylor, judged by Dune, is by no means an emotional person who is driven by personal feelings and gives up huge gains.

He is the type who is always rational, clearly discerns self-interest, and clearly calculates the calculation of interests.

That’s why Dune was certain. Under these conditions, Ed would be on his side.

However, Ed Rosteylor’s choice was completely different from Dune’s expectations.

‘Did I look at the wrong person?’

It is not a day or two that he has lived as a Dunedo merchant.

Did Ed’s mind change in that brief gap?

To him, the existence of Lortel Kecheln had more value than just the owner of the merchant who helped him.

I never thought it would happen. Dune had met Ed face-to-face time and time again, and he had continued to carefully judge his character and inclinations.

He is like an eagle eating corpses in solitude among corpses on the battlefield.

It is a poisonous species that can rip off any corpse if it can fill its stomach to survive.

It is easy to see from his behavior and values ​​that he has lived a life in the midst of such a war.

– Boom!

Anyway, there is no point in regretting past judgment mistakes now. I just do what needs to be done right now.

Violently breaking down the door to the basement, Dune reached the cellar.

As I dragged the worker to the inner room where Ayla was to be locked up, I shouted for the rope to be tied down.

The workers followed, shouting and answering.

Anyway, all you have to do is secure Isla Triss and give her back to Taylor when things don’t work out.

Then the situation itself can be ended immediately. Just having that option gives Dune a pretty clear edge in the current fast-paced situation.

– Woe!

Dune reached the room where Ayla was being held… I couldn’t believe her eyes.

Ayla, who should be tied up and bound… . does not exist.

Only the worker who was watching her is lying unconscious.

“what…?”

Dune hesitated for a moment with a trembling voice.

Ayla is more of an academic with no fighting skills whatsoever. He knows how to use magic, but he is not strong enough to easily subdue the workers.

Because Dune knew that, only a minimum number of manpower was deployed. As long as the reporting system is in place, there is no reason to invest too many people in surveillance.

However, the watchman who lost his mind after being neatly subdued… I was completely stunned.

“Is this… how…?”

Dune found a food tray rolling on the floor. First of all, even if they were hostages, they couldn’t starve to death, so they would feed them with only the minimum amount of food.

– ‘I really enjoyed the meal… .!’

There is a memo written in neat handwriting expressing gratitude for the rice they ate. Ayla’s handwriting looked clear.

I feel like I’m more alert when I’m polite without use.

Nearby, magical engineering items such as ‘Magical Cutting Machine’, ‘Impact Enhanced Wave Ball’, and ‘Power Dissipator’ were falling with their lifespan exhausted.

While Taylor was making a fuss, he took out the magic engineering supplies from his body, subdued the workers, and escaped.

In the meantime, I wondered if I had enough time to remember the meal I ate and leave a message of thanks.

indeed… Should I say that he is a person with a lot of kidnapping experience? Even though it was all this way, I drank up a hearty meal and cold water. It’s the composure of a professional.

I thought of Ayla leaving the prison blushing as if she was ashamed in case anyone heard it… Dune gnashed his teeth.

Ayla has been tied up ever since she was caught by Ed. There was no way he could have secured such magical engineering supplies for escape.

——From the time he was captured in the first place, he hid everything in his collar before being caught.

It is a story that Isla Triss was also in the same relationship with Ed Roth Taylor in the first place. It is natural to think that the engineering supplies were also provided by Ed Rosteyler.

The way he moves so hard as if he had promised in this chaotic situation where Taylor comes in… If you think about it that way, it makes sense.

“Ed… Ross Taylor…!”

Dune raised his eyes as he gritted his teeth.

From the beginning, Ed Rosteyler had no intention of siding with Dune.

All of this was planned by him.

In order to sprinkle ashes on Dune’s plan, steal Lortel, and use the Elte Company as a battlefield with Taily… It was a picture he drew.

“Go upstairs! Find Ayla Triss! Ed Roth Taylor and Assistant Manager Hoeju too!”

Soft and gnashing of teeth, Dune again ordered the workers.

The situation is not over yet. Soon at dawn, the imperial carriage comes. Until then, we need to secure Ed Rosteiler and Lortel Kecheln.

*

“It’s going to rain.”

Lucy, who was sniffing at the tip of her nose, suddenly said that.

“…is it raining? Is it this clear?”

“It smells like rain.”

Lucy Meiril notices when it rains like a ghost. Of course, there was no way for Princess Fenia to know such a fact, so she was only heard as a somewhat out of the blue.

“…By the way, it’s Aken Island soon. Where should I drop you off when we arrive?”

“Aren’t you going to the imperial residence anyway?”

“Before I go, I’ll stop by the place you want and drop me off.”

Of course, it was common sense to follow the princess’s line of movement, but Princess Fenia was considerate and told Lucy Meiril that.

Of course, there was no reason for Lucy to read the intention of the action, so she just answered indifferently.

Lucy looked up at the late dawn sky through the window… I let out a fleeting sigh as I imagined the sudden rain.

“Near the northern forest.”

Penia also expected the answer to some extent.

“I’m going to camp.”

That’s how the imperial carriage goes.

In the far corner of his field of vision, the small Maxes Bridge leading to Aken Island was visible.