Episode 15. Can’t be the only one (4)
“How can you speak like that! Are you still a student of the Aligieri Academy!”
Second floor of the Professor’s Tower Unique Hall. There, the voice of anger resounded loudly.
Even though it was a human voice, there was no shortage of feeling like the cry of a monster.
The voice of Radiant Verserun, the professor in charge of the first-year combat department, was like thunder.
The student listening in front of him might think it harsh, but the student didn’t shrink back and retorted.
“This is truly outrageous. I didn’t realize this academy was so great as to ignore the requests of its students!”
“You, you!”
Even after hearing that voice, the student who resisted while straightening his shoulders was Travell Byrd, a first-year student in Class A of the combat department.
Radiant’s already severe expression twisted like a grimace.
At first glance, it might seem like Travell was protesting against the unruly professor, but it needed to be seen from a different perspective.
“How can you prioritize the safety of those with such insignificant bloodlines over mine?”
“What, what did you say?”
Travell was brought here because of his verbal abuse towards academic personnel. It was merely a monologue, but unfortunately, he was caught by Radiant.
Not only Radiant himself but also the name of the principal was involved. Insulting the most powerful figure in the academy was not something to be taken lightly.
The Aligieri Academy, the Empire’s foremost magical institution.
Speaking ill of Principal “Kaden Jodiacz” could be considered an insult to the Empire’s authority.
No matter what status Travell had.
“You’re really making a big deal out of this.”
Originally, Radiant didn’t intend to raise his voice.
Out of respect for Principal Kaden, he couldn’t just let it go, but he planned to finish with a few words.
After all, there were hardly any students who had endured his loud voice for a long time.
“Insignificant bloodlines? Are you seriously saying that in this academy?”
Once that remark was made, there was no turning back.
The thread of reason was about to snap to the point where thoughts flew away.
“Don’t misunderstand! Here, the status of birth doesn’t matter! This is your last chance. If you apologize now, I won’t put it in your record.”
“……”
After hearing those words, Travell had no choice but to comply with the professor’s words.
No matter how much his father favored him, there was no forgiving crossing certain boundaries.
“I’m sorry……”
Eventually, Travell kneeled down. His fists clenched with trembling strength, his lips bleeding as if blood were flowing.
“I’ve been wanting to ask for a while, why are you so obsessed with Raimon and Jenny!”
“……”
Travell felt the silence around him but couldn’t bring himself to speak.
As the situation persisted, Radiant judged that further conversation was meaningless and dismissed him.
The grudge Travell held against the principal stemmed from his peers.
He was the youngest of the Viscount Byrd family. Regardless of the scale, he grew up in a prestigious environment from a young age, thanks to the flattery of surrounding nobles who told him that those below him could be considered insignificant.
Instead of learning morals, he grew up hearing only the flattery of the surrounding nobility, saying it was okay to look down on those beneath him.
And his obsession with Jenny wasn’t just because of his arrogance.
The Chainsilver family of Jenny and the Byrd family of Travell had a long-standing feud.
Travell grew up hearing insults like “lowly Chainsilvers” from his father and other nobles.
Encountering the Chainsilver bloodline in the academy under such circumstances naturally provoked him.
From Travell’s perspective, it was entirely reasonable. It was those who dared to chastise him who were strange.
“Damn it……!”
Exiting the Unique Hall, Travell felt anger towards Radiant.
Distrust in the academy itself, which disregarded the opinions of its students like sacrificial offerings, flared up within him.
“What does the academy care about regarding the opinions of its students like scraps of paper!”
He also didn’t like Raimon, who always interfered when he argued with Jenny.
Especially during the practical exam, he sincerely wanted to erase that humiliation. There were times when he tried to rectify it based on that defeat, but it fell through.
Bang!-
In his anger, Travell kicked a nearby sapling with all his might.
Since entering the academy, things hadn’t gone as smoothly as Travell wanted.
The shock of kicking the tree made it sway. Soon, a fruit fell and hit Travell on the forehead.
“This is insane…!”
As a lump rose on his head, his pale face flushed with blood. And he was about to smash his head against the tree.
“Thank you for coming this far, Tranche Kye.”
“Not at all.”
A familiar voice was heard. Travell paused his impulsive action and moved towards the source of the voice.
There stood Jenny Chainsilver, with long blue hair. She was in conversation with some knights and maids, while Travell hid himself and listened attentively.
“Is Snow Age running amok again?”
“I’m really sorry……”
“I brought the medicine for now. Please don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Thank you, Catena. You always lend a hand.”
The conversation continued, and Travell learned several things…
Those people included knights and maids from the Chainsilver family, Snow Age rampages, and…
“I’m worried it might happen again. When Madam lost her life to Lycans and Miss fell into great sorrow… I even wanted to die.”
“So please be careful from now on.”
“I understand. Tranche Kye, Catena…”
The corners of Travell’s mouth, who had overheard everything, curved like a crescent moon.
* * * * *
“It’s finally complete. The spell to control the Snow Age!”
In a luxurious dorm room, magic circles sparkled. Maryd Ryudsiehl was satisfied with her achievement.
It was a freezing-seal spell she had been working on for the past two nights.
A conglomeration of light, representing a spell without a physical form. When injected into the body, it exerts freezing properties, but with significant constraints.
Controlling the magic itself is a concept even high-level wizards find difficult to achieve.
One must multicast several complex spells from the magic circle, a feat only those born with innate talent can accomplish.
Few could be found across the continent, but Maryd was one of them.
In this academy, she was the only magician capable of creating such a spell.
But the magic she needed to control was the Snow Age itself. Originally the power of the founding Chainsilver’s head, this power was not easily controlled with ordinary sealing spells.
So, she needed various preparations, and the residue of that power extracted by Radon Crawler was just that.
“Should we repay our friend one more time?”
Maryd alone performed a ritual even impossible for the professors. Just knowing that fact indirectly revealed Maryd’s talent.
She inherited the power of her father, Hayez Ryudsiehl, who held the title of Archmage, to the extent that it seemed so.
“Now, all that’s left is to safely store this.”
With that said, Maryd took out a small capsule.
She absorbed the potion she had created into the capsule. As she did, a blue pill began to shimmer into existence.
Since the surface was semi-transparent, the bluish magic was clearly visible. It looked as if a blue galaxy was embedded within the capsule.
“Once Jenny takes this, everything will be solved!”
With excitement, Maryd dived onto her bed.
She wanted to applaud herself for the effort she put into making it and express her gratitude to Radon later.
If only it weren’t for the discord between Radon and Jenny, they could have been even closer. It’s really a pity.
“Oh right! The Nobel Records!”
She suddenly remembered the gift she received from Radon.
How does he know her hobbies so well! Maryd picked up the two new Nobel Records she had acquired.
[You and My Tico]
[Emperor of the Changing Room]
Just by looking at the titles, it was hard to gauge their contents. Weren’t they supposed to be healing waters that soothe the heart?
He said he watched them so much he got tired of them… Anyway, it must be an amazing masterpiece! There’s no way she could pass up on such a gem that rolled into her hands for free!!
“Then… Have a peaceful night…”
She placed the two records under the bed and hugged a teddy bear, gradually closing her eyes.
*(Snuggle, snuggle)*
A smile spread across her sleeping face.
Despite her petite frame being out of sync with her age, there was no denying that her quiet and peaceful sleeping form was angelic.
But…
“Uh… Ugh…!”
The complexion of the girl, as if about to melt, suddenly turned strange.
Her eyes suddenly widened, her eyebrows furrowed, and she started grinding her teeth as if shivering.
“Kuk… Kugh…!”
What kind of dream could she be having? Soon, she began to break out in a cold sweat and struggled to breathe.
She thought it would be a quiet and peaceful night…
“Kraaaah!! My eyes! My eyes! My eeeeeyes!!”
As if having a nightmare of torture, she spent three hours thrashing around as if possessed by a wild dragon.
Even with the lineage of an Archmage, she wasn’t exceptionally resistant to demonic forces.
* * * * *
“Looks like it’s exploded.”
Seeing the system surging forth with tremendous momentum, I couldn’t help but be amazed.
It was clear that Maryd had finally enjoyed the Nobel Records.
I witnessed the astonishing sight of the erosion rate dropping to 0% in an instant.
But more importantly…
Thunk!-
The moment I flicked my finger, money appeared in my hand as if summoned.
This coin-like object was cold hard cash in the Devilica’s universe!
“Finally, the financial crisis is solved!!”
I exclaimed cheers to the person lying on the bed. It felt like finally receiving the reward for all the troubles I’ve been through.
The status window looked quite different from when I first saw it. It was the result of using the stat points acquired through proficiency.
I use the points acquired now to increase ‘Magic Power’ by 1.
While I was extremely satisfied, at the same time… I was afraid.
“I have a feeling Maryd might come for revenge.”
I know very well how dreadful that record is.
If it happens, the next day, Maryd, with her eyes rotting away, would probably come running in anger, casting elemental magic at me like crazy.
Considering that I deceived her with such a fatal nuisance and gifted it to her, it wouldn’t be strange if she didn’t forgive me.
Of course, she probably won’t kill me. She’ll just make me horribly sick.
Should I consider it a fair trade-off for obtaining such abundant rewards?
Anyway. Now that the friendship is definitely over, I’ll just watch the main scenario unfold from afar.
Sorry for making your eyes rot, Maryd.
Sorry for breaking your ribs, Jenny.
And Raimon… Hang in there until the end! I’ll watch over you till the end!
