How to Survive at the Academy Chapter 284

[Side story] Chasing butterflies (11)

“He was alive.”

These were the first words of Jenika Failover, who rose from the altar.

Lucy Meiril, who was said to be dead, was alive. confirmation of its survival.

The Jenika Failover that Lucy Meiril knew would have been a little more surprised, asked about the situation, or even expressed her concerns.

However, it must be acknowledged.

The Jenika Failover, now standing in front of Lucy Meiril, is not the Jenika Lucy knew. Just looking at her appearance, the feeling came right away.

The cold sensation that comes out at the end of the dry tone is forged like a blade.

The cold gaze looking down at Lucy from the altar doesn’t feel the warmth of the old fairy tale.

Soaked in the cold reality for a long time, all the warmth of the past has been lost.

The island of Aken was completely under her control, and reigned as the queen of this hell.

A dark red cane is visible under the white hair. It’s worn out with the signs of time, but it’s the same cane that Ed Roth Taylor used when he was alive.

A sense of incongruity arises in the sight of holding the cane, which he keeps as a keepsake, as if it were the most precious treasure.

“…I was thinking maybe he was still alive.”

Jenika stands up from her seat and pours out cold words. Her remarks were unexpected from Lucy’s point of view.

Lucy Meiril of this world is dead. Lortel clearly said so.

However, Jenika was suspicious of Lucy’s death.

“Ever since I decided to make this island of Aken into a sanctuary, I couldn’t find Ed’s body no matter how much I searched the island.”

Ed Rosteilor was executed by the Lindonian royal faction in the plaza of the Sylvania Academy.

If so, Ed Rosteiler’s corpse also had to be somewhere in this Sylvania Academy.

But… Yenica Failover couldn’t find his body.

“Did you take Ed’s body?”

Lucy, as usual, just looks up at Yenika with blank eyes.

“If you are alive, all questions will be resolved. There aren’t many people who can hide on an island for so long without being seen by me…”

“I… don’t know anything.”

Only then does Jenika Failover feel a sense of incongruity.

There is not a single grain of sadness in Lucy’s eyes. As usual, he was just looking up at Yenika blankly with half-open eyes.

“Give me back Ed. I will use this altar… as a resting place for Ed.”

“I told you. I know nothing.”

“Why do you lie like that?”

“It’s not a lie.”

Lucy spoke the truth calmly. However, whether or not Yenika could accept it was another matter.

“I… I don’t even belong to this world. It just flowed in.”

“…”

“I want to go back to where I was. To do that, you need the power of that altar. I can’t go back unless I recover my mana.”

From Lucy’s point of view, it was a difficult word to say easily. However, he calmly continued his words.

“Get out of the way.”

“…”

Yenika was looking at Lucy quietly.

Ed Rosteylor’s death changed many things in the world.

She knew it well enough because it was Yenika who was nearby. Even to Lucy Meiril, a person named Ed Rosteiler must have been as precious and meaningful a person as this world.

Despite this, the appearance of talking to Yenika casually as if calm.

She didn’t lose Ed Rosteyler.

Intuitively realizing that fact, Yenika lowered her head even further.

Perhaps what Lucy is saying is the truth.

Otherwise, there was no way Lucy would be as fine as if nothing had happened.

“…”

Lucy was at a loss for words at the sight of Jenika.

Something that looks devastated.

It seems that he has lost Ed and has been deprived of meaning from everything in the world, but in front of him is Lucy, who has not lost Ed.

What emotions will she feel? Is it futility, jealousy, or is it endless sadness welling up again?

The face of Jenika who raised her head was… somehow vague.

“….okay.”

Just like that, the short answer came back.

In the worst situation, it was Lucy who even assumed battle. Surprisingly, I shuddered at the words of Jenika that she would gladly send Lucy back.

It was a situation that Lucy had not hoped for.

However, just by looking at the appearance of Yenika, it is not unusual. First of all, I thought that there would be nothing good if I let go of my guard…

“Tell me just one thing.”

Yenika trudged down from the altar and spoke in a whisper.

Yenika asks with a sad face in front of the altar where the wind blows and lightly scatters volcanic ash.

“Was Ed happy there?”

A single question with so many emotions. Lucy couldn’t answer that right away.

After thinking about what to answer for a while, I came to the conclusion that there was no need for a lengthy answer.

Lucy just nodded lightly a couple of times.

As if that was enough… Yenica gently closed her eyes.

It was a story that could pass.

Lucy pushed her hat down and walked toward the altar. The wind blew through his hair, and the hem of his clothes, which were frayed and torn here and there.

Even in the middle of it, he walks out with his small body.

This is it. From Lucy’s point of view, everything worked out.

Pass by Jenika, who is standing still, and use the remains of Tyrcalax at the Altar of Change to observe the outside world and send a rescue signal.

Jenika will not stop Lucy. He himself confirmed that.

Walking past Yenika, Lucy looks back for a moment.

In the gloomy sky, the multi-layered magic circle created by Jenika, who was in grief, was overlapping.

Freede, who has risen leisurely among countless spirits, is trying to erase all remaining life on this island.

With that distant background behind, Yenika’s back is standing alone.

It’s good. It’s a story from another world.

Lucy took Tyrcalax’s remains from her bosom. Magical power began to flow out of the artifact in the form of a small bead.

I closed my eyes and felt the sensation of being assimilated into magic.

Even a normal wizard could not handle even that amount of magic, but Lucy easily absorbed that enormous amount of magic into her body.

The Altar of Altar did not completely process all of the mana contained in Tyrcalax’s remains, but at least it allowed Lucy to absorb the amount of mana she wanted.

Lucy slowly turned her head while continuing to feel the mana flowing through her body little by little.

The figure of Jenika turned around is still the same.

“I envy you.”

Does it have eyes on its back?

With the sight of Aken Island nearing its end, Yenika spoke to Lucy in a voice that leaked out.

“Still, Ed over there will be waiting for you.”

“…”

“So, it’s okay for me to do my job.”

Lucy opened her mouth to say something but stopped.

And I gently closed my eyes.

Many people sacrificed to make Lucy reach this altar.

For them, the revived Lucy was their last hope. She was the last person who could somehow patch up Yenica, who was consumed by grief and madness.

So what do you mean?

It may be a cold story, but it has nothing to do with Lucy after all.

It is right to leave like this.

No matter how many times I thought about it, this was the correct answer, Lucy’s reason whispered over and over again.

Lucy has a place to return to.

It is a place where there is a person who has become a haven for the past life.

The boy had a life as eventful as Lucy’s.

Starting as a dropout abandoned by his family, he always walked his way with a firm expression despite many trials and tribulations.

Laying down with an indolent appearance, he accepted Lucy as she was.

He never got so caught up in life that he was jealous of Lucy’s blessed talent, and he never wanted anything more than was necessary for Lucy.

The boy just stayed by Lucy’s side with an open heart.

When I close my eyes because I want to see it like this, the profile of a boy sitting in a campfire in front of a late night fire comes to mind.

As always, it is the appearance of refining the equipment to survive tomorrow again.

What Lucy learned from the boy is such a longing for life.

It is tenacity and passion that does not give up on surviving in any situation.

Lucy loved the boy’s consistency and nobility.

A boy who adhered to the opposite philosophy to Lucy, who only ran away from nothingness. The boy’s tenacity allowed Lucy to live.

That’s why, without even knowing Lucy herself… Lucy’s values ​​have been overwritten endlessly.

The solitude and futility that he had lived with all his life had been replaced by an existence with greater meaning before he knew it.

“I will not understand you. Just like you don’t understand me.”

Lucy’s voice grew stronger.

Yenica felt a great sense of incongruity in Lucy’s voice. Her tone conveyed a firm determination, as if she had made up her mind to do something.

Ironically, the reason Yenika gave way to Lucy Mayril is because she understands Lucy’s heart better than anyone else.

Lucy will want to go back to Ed.

More than anything else, the most important thing for Lucy is to restore her magic and pave the way to Ed.

There was no way he could afford to pour his limited mana elsewhere.

Lucy never gets in the way of Yenika. There is no reason or reason to do so. Jenika knows best the affection Lucy must have had for Ed.

Even so, the first thing Lucy did as soon as she recovered her magic… was to gather all her magic and blow away the surrounding spirits.

– Whoaaaaaaagh!

– Quaaaaaaagh!

The highest level of lightning magic, ‘Demon Punishment’.

The lightning that became more powerful in Lucy’s hand, who had regained some of her magic, turned the spirits in the area back to nothing.

Refining her mana in the raging wind, Lucy jumped down from the altar. And he stands upright in front of Yenika again.

I came back without moving. It was Lucy’s choice.

“You…”

A gust of wind passed, and Lucy looked up as she straightened her old, tattered clothes.

“I know at a glance. Lucy. You’re in a position where you shouldn’t waste your mana recklessly. In that state… do you think you can stop me?”

“I will take care of that.”

“Why did you make that choice?”

Turning around, Jenika’s face was stained with… pain.

The choice to let Lucy go was heartbreaking even for Jenika.

Despite the storm of countless emotions he must have felt while looking at Lucy who had not lost Ed, he did what he thought was right in the end.

What is lost is lost.

Ed in the other world is waiting for Lucy Mayril.

Knowing that fact, he let Lucy go while sweeping his heart out.

Because he had his own work to do.

However, Lucy does not use the long-awaited magic power to go back.

With the returned power, Lucy stood in the way of Yenika.

“Magic power is something that needs to be recovered somehow.”

Even if all the mana runs out here, it can be restored someday.

The aftermath of the phoenix ring does not last a lifetime.

If you hold on and hold on for years… you will be able to find a way to get back somehow.

Edgar wouldn’t give up on Lucy after only a few years. Because of that conviction, I go through with what I thought was right right now.

Jenika couldn’t understand Lucy’s decision.

To the current Lucy Meiril, this world would feel like a terrible hell.

You just want to leave as soon as possible.

Even so, the reason for blocking Jenika even with her battered body is—

“Running away from here is an insult to the man who gave me life.”

It is a world full of people struggling to survive.

Those who tried to send Lucy here even at the risk of death are also full.

The purpose of all those people boils down to only one thing.

to survive.

In the middle of the roaring wind, Lucy is bowing her head with her hat pressed down tightly.

As if Jenika’s appearance was different from what Lucy knew.

Lucy’s current appearance is also different from what Jenika knew.

You can’t tell at a glance.

However, only now… The difference is clear in Jenika’s eyes.

“Everyone who tries to survive deserves respect.”

“You…”

Even in the storm, a light shines in the girl’s eyes.

Who was it that imbued the girl who was only empty with such values?

Despite his diminutive body, he stands dignifiedly in the midst of a storm. Is it an illusion caused by longing for someone in my memory to overlap?

The girl has received a lot.

I was given life by the boy, a reason to live, and a conviction to persevere.

And in order to carry out that belief, the girl finally becomes a hero.

A whirlwind of magical power raged.

Driven by the aftermath, the volcanic ash covering Mount Orn rises high into the night sky.