Chapter 210
“I want to exchange help with Vargan.”
When Rikeion’s members visited Academia.
The Chancellor of Rikeion, Heigel, said this to me.
He and I decided to help each other out.
In exchange for receiving tips about Unique Spells from him, my task was very clear and simple.
“Please achieve a perfect victory over Arha.”
As the tournament progressed, he viewed my meeting with Arha as inevitable and intriguingly asked me to crush her with force.
Arha, who is immensely valuable to him, and to Rikeion.
To ask me to defeat someone like her is a strange thing to hear without context.
However, I knew from novels about Chancellor Heigel’s general tendencies and was aware of Arha’s arrogance.
He wanted Arha, who had never fallen even once, to experience getting knocked down and scrape her knee.
That’s why he said it so casually.
“No matter how much of a genius she is, Arha is still lacking in experience. If it’s an achievement from Vargan, she should be able to be completely overwhelmed.”
Good grief. Is this how anyone who has attained a certain level, including Gulemashia, thinks?
It’s as if he can see my current state clearly. He didn’t doubt for a second that I would win, even though I was facing trials.
Having someone peek into your abilities without permission doesn’t feel pleasant at all.
But since I was thinking the same thing, it made it even more so.
“Mr. Heigel, your teaching methods are quite strict and devious.”
I said while enjoying the aroma of tea.
He said it couldn’t be helped and added that it was a necessary process for her growth.
Listening to Heigel, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
It reminded me of how I had treated Alicia somewhat forcefully and harshly to awaken her.
I knew it, but he and I have quite a few similarities.
That’s why communication flows well.
“Well… that’s fine. It’s not a difficult request. I’ll make sure to teach Arha so she can understand the vastness of the world.”
“Great. The conversation is going smoothly. Then, when Vargan meets Arha….”
“When the student meets Arha…”
“Oh, but it’s not me who will convey that teaching.”
“What do you mean?”
He shot me a questioning glance.
I faced it head-on without dodging.
“Alicia is the right person.”
“Alicia… But with her current achievements…”
He furrowed his brow, as if the calculations didn’t add up.
No matter how I twisted my brain, there was no way Alicia could defeat Arha.
But I asserted it.
It had to be her, not me, who provoked Arha.
“Trust me and give it a shot. If it’s Alicia, she will surely deliver an extreme discomfort that Arha has never felt before.”
…
The negotiations were established.
It would be a welcome thing for Arha, who could become a great power in the future, to repent early.
Knowing that I would accept the proposal, it was indeed characteristic of Heigel… or so I thought.
What a surprise.
“I can’t believe he was trying to gain another profit behind the scenes.”
I summarized the recent happenings in Rikeion and came to that conclusion.
To put it bluntly, he was the extreme efficiency type.
In a better light, a rather clever fellow.
Heigel was a master who could produce multiple outcomes from a single process.
* * *
After the quarterfinals came the lunch break.
Vargan quickly finished his meal and was in the room with Erica.
Though she had been broken, she hadn’t completely given up on learning. Instead of reading, she discussed arguments on a certain topic using the magic book for the blind Vargan.
However, the problem was that when Vargan contradicted her, Erica would just fold her opinions without putting up any resistance.
“If you think so, it must be correct.”
Erica nodded with certainty in her eyes.
As if she were a fervent believer praising a god, there wasn’t a shred of doubt.
“…Erica. While I’m glad you trust me, if you keep agreeing so easily, won’t there be no progress in your research?”
“But Schugenharz… I can’t imagine you being wrong…?”
“So you would trust my words even if what’s written in the Academia’s textbooks was incorrect?”
“Yes. There could be errors in the book’s content.”
“…”
I expected it, but is her confirmation bias this severe?
To exaggerate a bit, if Vargan pointed to water and said it was fire, the current Erica would likely agree without question.
She wouldn’t be doubting him but rather her existing value system.
It’s truly a tricky situation.
—Knock knock.
Just as Vargan was spending time alone with Erica, a knock sounded.
Vargan permitted the entrance, and Frieda, with her fox ears perked up, walked in.
“…Eek.”
Startled, Erica quickly hid behind Vargan.
Among all characters, she showed an intense rejection and fear specifically towards Frieda.
On the other hand, Frieda didn’t react at all to Erica’s fear. She approached Vargan and handed him a bundle of paper.
He approached and pulled out a stack of paper, handing it over.
“I brought what you asked for.”
“Perfect timing. Good job.”
“Thanks, but it was nothing.”
Vargan noticed that Erica was trembling, but he still seated Frieda comfortably.
Although he was worried about Erica, he couldn’t afford to miss the conversation with Frieda.
As he focused his mana to read the text on the stack of papers, a brief silence hung in the air.
After skimming the contents, Vargan collected his thoughts and muttered quietly.
“Is that really it…?”
Terrified, Erica couldn’t help but peek over to see what Vargan was reading.
“There’s no need to look. It’s not that important of a document.”
Vargan handed the paper to Erica.
The paper he handed her was a list detailing the profiles of Rikeion students.
Receiving the list back from Erica, Vargan opened a page for one of the students and placed it on the table.
“This kid is the one who withdrew quietly without a sound recently.”
“Yes, they left without saying anything to their classmates. It states ‘family issues’ as the reason, but that’s not very convincing.”
“Quietly withdrawing at such a vague time… Not a leave of absence, but a dropout.”
Vargan tapped on the desk with his finger, chuckling as if he found it amusing.
‘It seems pretty certain.’
It was quite intriguing to think that there was a separate storyline moving secretly, completely different from the existing one.
“……”
Frieda didn’t spare a glance at Erica, focusing solely on Vargan.
Her fluffy tail, reminiscent of a large puppy, swayed softly.
While not as attuned as Alicia, Frieda seemed to be able to read Vargan’s expressions to some extent. The smile he wore now wasn’t an act but his true feelings.
Suddenly, the unease she felt on the way to this room resurfaced, and her tail, which had been dancing happily, came to a halt.
“Vargan, have you noticed something?”
“What do you mean?”
“The fact that almost every area in Rikeion is under the Chancellor’s surveillance.”
“Oh? You mean the surveillance spells installed in every nook and cranny? They were quite cleverly concealed… It seems your mana detection skills have improved, Frieda.”
“Not at all. I’m just nurturing a skill I need. But don’t you think there are too many, even for security? Is it because the Chancellor is overly cautious or is there another reason…?”
“To maintain all the spells, a proportionate amount of mana is inevitably consumed. That’s a valid question, Frieda. Yes, it’s strange, as you said.”
“Of course, it could just be that they’re monitoring the duration of the academy members’ stay for security purposes.”
Virtually all of Rikeion’s facilities were currently under the watchful eye of Chancellor Heigel.
While there were no cameras in bathrooms or personal rooms, Rikeion was being surveilled like some modern-day CCTV.
Quite excessive, really.
“It’s truly suspicious.”
“Could he really have built this system for the sake of efficiency?”
“This is also evidence that another story is unfolding in the background.”
“Um? What’s going on, Erica?”
Suddenly, Erica tugged at Vargan’s clothing.
While she was concerned about Frieda, she slowly opened her mouth.
“Is there… nothing I can help with?”
Maybe a woman’s intuition kicked in, but Erica concluded that Vargan had caught a scent of something and would take action.
No matter what it was, she was ready to assist him, regardless of the obstacles that awaited.
“It’s fine, Erica. We don’t need to step in.”
“That’s how it is…?”
“You just need to stay put. It’s not too late to take action after the incident occurs. In fact, it might look more natural that way.”
Vargan thought the timing was still too early.
When the story, busy unfolding beneath the surface, finally revealed itself, that would be the best time to act.
“Anyway, it’ll be soon. From my prediction… I think changes will start happening from the semifinals.”
Vargan anticipated the timing.
* * *
—Ah… what is happening! The first match of the semifinals is flowing in an unknown direction.
—Rikeion also seems to have not predicted this situation at all. We didn’t receive any prior warning, and it appears that the staff members, including the Student Council, are working diligently.
—There’s not much time left. The only player currently on the Arena is Vargan from Academia. Will he really win by default like this?
The first match of the semifinals.
The audience was buzzing while the staff was frantically worried.
The unexpected occurrence flooded the Arena with chaos.
In contrast, Vargan stood alone atop the Arena, looking quite bored.
The only noise heard was the occasional sound of his cane tapping on the ground.
Tap. Tap.
Like the minute hand of a clock.
The sound echoed on the floor.
Time was busy following its own path.
—With less than a minute remaining! Rikeion! Will you really just hand over a win so absurdly?
—Is it an issue caused by an injury from the quarterfinals?
—If that were the case, we would have been informed as well. Absolutely no idea what’s going on.
—Yes, right at this moment, the remaining time has reached 10 seconds and we will begin the countdown now.
Vargan stood still, staring in the direction where his opponent was supposed to emerge.
It wouldn’t be odd for someone who should be bursting with excitement or anger, especially after the quarterfinals, to appear now.
But that wild woman was nowhere to be seen.
—2… 1…! Ah, yes! The match is officially over!
—Is this even possible? Academia’s Vargan wins by default due to the absence of his opponent, Arha!
As he secured his place in the finals, Vargan quietly smiled.
Even after the match, Arha’s figure was nowhere to be found.
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