“Robelian and Karia. And I became friends. Of course, Robelian was busy here and there, but we had quite a lot of interactions.”
Robelian, who was more genius than genius.
He shared various knowledge with two other geniuses, and their skills improved significantly compared to before.
They had originally struggled together with things they didn’t know.
So it wasn’t strange for the superior Robelian to enlighten them.
The problem was that their level had risen so high that there was nothing left to learn within the academy.
No matter which professor of the Royal Academy was brought in, no one could beat the three of them, and that’s when they started skipping classes even more.
Then, one day, while adventuring around the world,
an incident happened.
“An incident?”
“It was the day I made a contract with Lord Naphras.”
Arne, after receiving advice from Robelian saying, “It would be good to head east; there are rumors of a spirit over there…”, was investigating a forest where no one set foot.
Having entered a place that no ordinary person could ever go, she discovered a sleeping spirit.
The spirit’s name was Naphras.
It was the Wind Spirit King who had disappeared to avoid the Demon Race and had reappeared.
“Since making the contract with Lord Naphras, I’ve become even stronger. I became as strong as Karia, not to mention Robelian back then.”
Arne, the genius girl who made a contract with the Spirit King.
After the contract, she surpassed Karia, who always excelled her before, and claimed the position just below Robelian.
But then again, Robelian was studying the art of wielding weapons, not magic, so their fields didn’t really overlap.
Magic and spirit arts were different, but they had oddly similar aspects.
In effect, she was essentially the top student.
From that moment on, her relationship with Karia became quite delicate.
“…The gap started to become too much. It was different from just Robelian.”
Robelian was someone with talent that surpassed genius from the first time she saw him.
There were many outstanding people in this world, so there was no need to envy Robelian’s talent.
“But what about a ‘friend’ who was equal to me?”
What if someone similar, or even lower, suddenly became incomparably strong?
For someone as proud as Karia, this situation could certainly be uncomfortable.
Arne timidly touched her teacup, lowering her head.
Though not clearly visible, she seemed to have a face that hinted at regret.
“…I hesitate to say this, but back then, I was young. I thought it was all good; if I excelled, Karia would also be happy.”
It was an everyday routine for them to exchange opinions about what they didn’t know.
At that time, Arne thought it would be better if she shared what Karia didn’t know.
Arne thought that at that time.
And that became an opportunity to further undermine Karia’s pride.
“Since then, Karia has increasingly spent a lot of time alone. She used to visit Robelian or hang out with kids from other high-status families. But by the third year, she was just holed up in her corner.”
Seeing Karia gradually distancing herself, Arne decided to go find her directly.
“What on earth is she doing that she won’t meet up?”
It had been over two months since he last saw her face.
Robelian tried to mediate and repair their relationship, but these days he seemed to be busy with his own affairs, constantly shuttling back and forth from his family home.
Arne even asked the kids from high-status families, but they seemed just as clueless.
Finally, Arne resolved to storm into Karia’s lavish private room.
She occupied an entire building located on the outskirts, not part of the academy dorms.
As Arne cautiously searched the building for Karia, he stumbled upon an entrance leading to a basement.
A heavy iron door, easily five meters tall, was barely ajar, covered with multiple layers of illusion magic.
A device firmly hiding something.
He had no idea why such a significant-looking device was here or why it was open.
At this point, however, Arne firmly believed in Karia, so he descended into the basement without a second thought.
“And there, I saw it. Spirits writhing in pain.”
Spirit beings trapped in a strange iron cage, making muffled sounds.
The basement emitted a disturbing aura, and behind him, the enraged Spirit King radiated malice.
Confused by it all, Arne quickly searched the basement in search of Karia.
And then—
“…Arne?”
“You…”
Finally, he found Karia, the one he had searched for so desperately.
“How did you…!”
She held the spirit, shrouded in darkness.
■
KABOOM!!!
“What the?!”
“It’s a battle! Everyone to your positions!”
“Where’s the guard? The guard!”
“There’s a fire over there! All personnel who can use water magic, move out…”
“Cough! This is the smoke of black magic! Everyone, don’t breathe it in!”
A massive explosion erupted on the outskirts of the academy.
The explosion’s noise attracted numerous students and managers to the scene, which happened to be Karia’s private room, ranked third in the entire academy.
The situation looked dire, and they needed to suppress it quickly, but ominous smoke was rising.
They couldn’t just rush in and risk casualties, so they surrounded the mansion with a blocking barrier spell to contain the situation.
“Where’s the professor?!”
“Most are out on assignments…”
“Damn it! Then at least get the head of the faculty here! Or the deputy!”
“Neither of them are answering!”
“Damn it! What the hell…”
“What the heck…?”
The smoke rises even higher.
Most of the students, who could lend a hand, have reached the scene and started chiming in one by one.
“Isn’t black magic illegal?”
“It looks dangerous…”
“Did Karia dabble in black magic?”
“No way, why would the third-ranked student?”
“Hey, you didn’t know? Karia was the top student before.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. She got pushed down by Robelian and her friend, right…”
Black magic is illegal.
The Royal Academy does not recognize wicked magic and only acknowledges traditional magic, spells, and special magic like spirit magic.
Anything else is considered sorcery and rejected.
But the third-ranked student practicing black magic? That was enough gossip to stir up many students gathered from different places at the Academy.
“……”
“……”
Meanwhile, the two directly involved in the situation, not paying any mind to the conversation, faced each other deep underground.
Karia lay there, bloodied and broken, while Arne clutched his severed arm, barely opening one eye.
“Say something, Karia.”
“……”
“It wasn’t you… right? Who trapped you?”
“……”
“No way. The Karia I know might talk tough, but her true nature is kinder than anyone else’s. I know you well—”
“What do you know well?”
Cough!
Karia coughed up blood and let out a weak laugh.
Arne frowned at her laughter, but his eyes widened when he saw the blood was black.
“Arne. Arne Partia. Do you really think, cough, after three years we’ve become something? Don’t talk nonsense.”
“……”
“Spirit experimentation? Yeah, I did it. I wanted to become stronger. Cough. You were blessed from birth and cough, you know?”
“…Why are you saying that?”
Blessed?
Weren’t we supposed to understand and share the same thoughts as friends?
No one was blessed; it was just nice being friends together.
“I… don’t know why you’re acting this way.”
“Haha… Arne, do you remember?”
“…?”
“Remember that time we climbed a high mountain and said it? Cough.”
Early in their first year.
Skipping class, they climbed the tall mountain behind the Academy and talked as they gazed at the vast landscape.
“Let’s go beyond just being called Cough a genius and become ‘the best.’ Let’s be recognized by everyone and become ‘great mages, great spirit masters’ and make a name in the world.”
“……”
“It’s just a process. This… is a minor… thing.”
“A minor thing? Torturing spirits is a minor thing?”
Arne, tearing up, erupted in anger.
Even though they both got hurt, Arne, aided by the Spirit King, was much stronger.
No matter how mysterious the black magic Karia was using, it didn’t matter.
Ria was using an unidentified black magic, but it was meaningless.
Karia, not even looking at Arne, continued to bleed and opened her mouth.
“Uh. It’s trivial. I have it.”
“Don’t you… regret saying that?”
“Yeah. I have something more important than that.”
Karia bit her lips.
Words that couldn’t be conveyed.
Words she didn’t want to spit out because her pride was hurt, yet she wanted to say somehow because she felt sorry.
‘What that guy told me not to say…’
“That is…”
“……”
‘It means I cannot stand in the same place as you…’
“Arne!”
Whoosh!
A golden sword swooshed down, blocking the space between them.
The top student and genius among geniuses of the Academy.
Robelian radiated a serious energy he usually didn’t show.
Seeing Robelian, Karia shut her mouth.
“Robelian…?”
“This is not Karia’s will. It’s just that the power of the demon has consumed her. There’s no need for you two to fight.”
“Ah… I see.”
With Robelian’s sudden words, Arne’s face relaxed with relief.
Right, how could his one and only friend do such a thing?
They were all difficult to understand, yet hearing Robelian say that made him feel at ease.
‘…Of course, it felt sincere.’
Arne hoped that this turned out to be the truth.
Arne approached the collapsing Karia and reached out his still intact hand.
“Get up. You’re still sane, right?”
“Arne, I…”
“I believe you wouldn’t do that. Luckily, with Naphras’s ability, it seems we can save most of them, so let’s get up again while we still can.”
“…Okay.”
In the end, Karia couldn’t tell the truth that day.
Thus, their relationship awkwardly stitched together, they continued to live like friends for decades.
In the meantime, they even raised the name of the newly born Empire, where they flourished along with Robelian.
Due to the ongoing experiments of demon mental erosion, there were frequent conflicts, but thanks to Robelian’s mediation, it didn’t split apart significantly.
And that relationship was completely shattered by the corruption of the Spirit King of Earth and the experimentation of the spirit Arne had contracted.
Completely, to the point of no return.
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