“Have you arrived? Come here and sit down.”
I sat down opposite Headmaster Merlin as he requested. Merlin waved his fingers, causing a teapot to float in the air and pour tea, then, with his usual warm smile, he spoke to me.
“Here you go. This tea is good for recovering your blood. You probably don’t need it, but… it wouldn’t hurt to refresh your mood like this.”
It seemed he’d noticed without me saying anything that I had the Phoenix’s Blessing. After all, I was still struggling to regain my strength; it must be hard for a grand magician not to notice that.
“Thank you.”
I carefully picked up the cup and brought it to my nose.
Is it herbal tea?
Just taking a whiff made me feel relaxed. I took a sip before placing the cup back on the table.
“Phoenix’s Blessing, huh? That’s quite a remarkable gift you’ve received. The last person to get it was, hmm, about 300 years ago.”
Has it really been that long? In the game, it was one of the easiest blessings to obtain, so I had it almost every time.
“I was just lucky.”
“Catching luck is also a skill, you know.”
That’s true! If you don’t have the skill, you can’t catch luck at all. I took another sip of the steaming tea while gazing at the grand magician in front of me.
“I heard there was an incident while I was away.”
“Are you referring to the student council president election?”
“That’s right.”
The student council president election. A main story event that I was sure would happen without fail. It wasn’t a big deal since it was my first year, but for Karina, it was quite a troublesome event.
The student council members approached Karina to gain the first-year votes. Although I had warned them in advance, it seemed they managed to fend them off rather well.
Considering Karina’s influence, it wouldn’t help her already poor health to get involved further. Plus, with Renny watching over her like a hawk, no one would dare approach.
Anyone who tried to get too close would end up with a sword.
How long has it been since the attempt on the Saint’s life? Why are they acting so obliviously? They should be dead by now! Even a decent noble would think twice because their whole family could end up wiped out attempting to be student council president; it’s not like they had the talent for that.
…Thinking about it that way makes the original story feel rather strange.
Renny was there, yet they still tried to approach and persuade her. Of course, the original story had a big impact, where public perception prevented them from stopping the advances.
In the original, it felt more like representing the first year, so it wouldn’t be easy to outright ban approaches like now. After all, there was a route where Lewis would become the student council president as a result of this incident…
Huh?
If it goes this badly, who will be the next student council president?
Is it possible that someone I don’t even know could become the student council president?
“Your senior is glaring at them with a fearsome gaze; do you think any chick would dare to approach?”
“That’s true.”
“This detail isn’t very important, so let’s move on. What matters now is… the West, isn’t it?”
“I heard there’s an invasion of monsters.”
An outbreak of war happening sooner than in the original. I heard that the outskirts of the West had already been breached. With only rumors circulating in the city, getting accurate information is tough, so I needed Headmaster Merlin’s insights.
There’s probably no one better placed than him, sitting atop this enormous academy.
“The outskirts of the West have already been devastated. A stream of refugees is heading to the central region, causing chaos within the Empire.”
“I heard the Paladin Order has gone out.”
“While they have set out, let’s be honest, how many can the Paladin Order muster? They’re gathering remnants and regular troops from the West to prepare for defense, but honestly speaking… it won’t be easy. The frontline will likely keep getting pushed back.”
Merlin sighed deeply after saying that. It seemed the situation was more serious than expected.
“What seems to be the problem?”
“There are far more monsters than we anticipated. They even have a magician on their side. From what I’ve seen, they are well-organized too. This isn’t a sudden assault; it’s a planned war.”
“It appears Harpas is making a move.”
“Hmm… How can you be so sure?”
“Isn’t that the place where their branch was? Besides… I’ve also heard something from the Phoenix.”
I shared some information about Harpas with Headmaster Merlin, excluding a few details. Merlin stroked his beard and gazed out the window, seemingly distressed by what I explained. If I was feeling frustrated trying to explain, he must feel it even more.
“We must stop them.”
“Hmm… I don’t know when the royal family will allocate reinforcements. Why did it have to happen during a royal conflict? Or did they trigger it at this timing?”
“Are they still in a power struggle?”
“They’ve been busy fighting over how much of their own forces to put into the reinforcements.”
The sound of Merlin’s sigh filled the office.
…That’s why the traitor route is so blatant. While I had my gripes about the imperial family making a mess, I kept them to myself. No reason to stir the pot by badmouthing the higher-ups directly.
“Foolish people…”
“Let’s set aside the utterly fruitless talk for now. The priority should be finding a way to end this war soon.”
“I’m not sure just talking will resolve the issue…”
…Well, I’m essentially the only one trying to take down Harpas.
It’s not like many would believe that a being once thought to be vanquished during the age of the first Saint can be defeated again.
“As I mentioned before, I plan to defeat Harpas.”
“Harpas is a being from another dimension.”
“It’s meaningless to think that we can’t do something just because past heroes couldn’t.”
In the original story, it was only after a third of the Empire was decimated by war that the power of the protagonist, awakened just then, managed to defeat him, but it was better to capture Harpas early, at the start of this war.
There’s a high probability of failure, but if I’m going to die anyway by doing nothing, I might as well give it a shot.
“You are truly courageous.”
“I’m just doing what needs to be done.”
“No one speaks lightly of catching a demon.”
“Someone has to do it.”
Normally, it would have been the duty of the original protagonist, Lewis, but he was still too weak to get involved in a war.
Even if he was stronger than in the original, he still wouldn’t have the blessing. The existence of a divine blessing was crucial.
For a mortal to oppose an immortal, they must rise to that level.
“If you insist so much, I won’t stop you.”
“Since I’m at it, will you help me until the end?”
“I am getting old.”
“Isn’t it good to achieve one more accomplishment in your old age? There’s nothing more valuable than adding a tale of valor in your twilight years. It can serve as an inspiration to the students as well.”
“You’re trying to make me work hard while old, huh?”
Our eyes met, and his usually gentle gaze had become piercing.
My body felt heavy.
Is it just my spirit, or is his magical power pressing down on me?
But I had no intention of backing down.
If I succumb to such a mere threat, I’ll surely fall before reaching the second year.
How have I survived for ten years if I am to dash toward a bad ending?
I met his gaze, determined, refusing to look away.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“There’s no time for jokes.”
“…What’s the reason you’re pursuing this so fiercely?”
“There’s a danger in front of us, and I can’t bear just leaving it there. Also, you know it will eventually come knocking at our door if we don’t stop it. By then, we won’t have a way to defend against it.”
Images flicker through my mind.
The academy crumbling and aflame.
Students struggling to survive.
Mountains of corpses.
A river of blood.
Crows wearing satisfied smiles while watching the scene.
If the protagonist fails to vanquish Harpas, this future will be assured. With even more variables in play now, that future might come not in a year but within months.
How could I just stand by and watch?
Everything I have is tied to this place.
For the kids who trust and follow me, I had to somehow defeat Harpas.
By any means necessary, even if it means enlisting powerful NPCs.
“…I never imagined I’d be working hard at this age.”
“Life is basically a series of unexpected events, isn’t it?”
“I hope you’re not just all talk.”
Instead of a Drake, I succeeded in recruiting the continent’s greatest magician, the Dragon, as an ally.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.