How to Survive at the Academy
chapter-102

[Student Council President Election Campaign: Part 3]

[Life Skills Detailed]

Grade: Intermediate Master Craftsman Specializing in: Woodworking Dexterity Lv 16 Design Lv 12 Gathering Skills Lv 13 Woodworking Lv 15 Stonemasonry Lv 9 Hunting Lv 14 Fishing Lv 12 Cooking Lv 7 Repair Lv 5 Skill Proficiency: 25 Amplification Power: 5 Infusion Success Rate: 95%

– Fire Elemental Affinity: 6

– Water Elemental Affinity: 2

– Wind Elemental Affinity: 4 Contracted Spirits: Lesser Fire Spirit Mug Spirit Sensitivity: 22 Elemental Understanding: 27 Unique Skills: Aura of Restoration, Explosive Pact Contracted Spirits: Intermediate Water Spirit Laysia Spirit Sensitivity: 11 Elemental Understanding: 10 Unique Skills: Aura of Tranquility, Watersource Manifestation Contracted Spirits: High-ranking Wind Spirit Merilda Spirit Sensitivity: 4 Elemental Understanding: 3 Unique Skills: Wolf of the Gale, Rising Air Current Skill Proficiency: 6 Demon Engineering Comprehension: 7 Quick Crafting: 4 Collected Crafting Formulas:

Faint Wind Dispenser (Lv 4)

Mountain Echo Noise Maker (Lv 3)

Sensory Automatic Mana Chessboard (Lv 1)

Greenhouse Crystal Orb (Lv 3)

Blue Magic Circle (Lv 2)

Clawed Hand (Lv 3)

Craigel Magic Ink (Lv 2)

Luminous Orb (Lv 3)

Onia’s Fear Flame (Lv 1)

Telos’s Frostlight Aura (Lv 1)

Lightning Struck Millennium Wooden Staff (Formula Unlocked!)

Gluckt’s Eye (Formula Unlocked!)

Del Heim’s Hourglass (Lv 1)

– Clang!

The big lioness’s fang strikes the blade of the dagger I’m holding. As expected, I’m at a disadvantage in this power struggle, and any resistance seems futile.

Knowing I’ll be overwhelmed if I continue like this, I shift the center of gravity and let the lioness’s body slide off.

– Swish!

As the lioness’s body, now transformed into water, rushes toward the spot that was once occupied by my upper body, I quickly duck beneath it.

I use the off-balance moment when the lioness’s center of gravity shifts to thrust with strength from my sturdy legs and push into its side with my shoulder, causing the lioness to stagger back with a shrilling cry.

However, a creature of such size wouldn’t be subdued by a mere body blow, and the lioness, landing back on solid ground, heads towards the crashing waves of the ocean.

Cliffs and rocky areas—this relatively flat terrain dashed by waves—becomes our battleground.

The lioness plunges into the water, which in a typical situation, would mean her massive body would sink into the depths. Yet instead, there’s no splashing. The water around this rocky terrain constantly pools because of the periodic crashing waves.

And just like magic, the lioness reappears from the opposite side.

Despite the lioness’s thunderous roar trying to envelop me, a quick twist of my hand while gripping the dagger wards off its clawed assault.

The pressure of not knowing from which direction the lioness might emerge next continually stimulates my tension.

– Clang! Clang! Clang!

After several exchanges, my spirit sensitivity starts to show signs of strain.

[Let’s take a break now, Young Master Ed.]

The calm voice of a woman. It was Laysia.

Recollecting how many bouts I’ve had with Laysia becomes a blur; sweat drenched, I’ve already cast aside my top. Being blasted by waves now and then, it was indeed more practical to train without my shirt.

Breathing heavily, I took a seat on a nearby rock.

[Amazing! Your reflexes and handling abilities are exceptional! I, the humble Mug, am moved!]

Mug, fluttering its wings, is on fire next to the rock as usual, making a fuss.

Laysia, stirring the surrounding water, laid down with her head resting on her double tail.

[Indeed, for a mage, your close combat abilities have remarkably improved. It seems like you have been training for a decent amount of time.]

I wipe the profuse sweat off and recuperate.

The intermediate water spirit Laysia is a fine sparring partner.

Unlike Mug, who is too small to even consider as a combatant, or Merilda, who is simply too large and powerful, Laysia is the perfect size.

It would be impossible to win a serious melee battle with an intermediate spirit, but light sparring is very possible, and it’s even beneficial as it feels slightly intense.

Training intensity should be slightly uncomfortable—that’s ideal.

[If you train your intermediate magic and systematize your close-combat training further… It may be feasible for you to spar with Lady Merilda. Unlike with me, you can gain immeasurable benefits in various ways.]

“… How do I even spar with a wolf the size of a house? A mere misstep could send me straight to the netherworld.”

[Ha ha, fear not, Young Master Ed. Distinguished high-ranking spirits like Lady Merilda can freely alter their forms. Adapting for a sparring session suitable for you wouldn’t pose much difficulty.]

Once my breathing steadied and my sweat started to dry, I got up from the rock. I stretched my arms a few times before beginning to do push-ups with my hands planted firmly on the ground.

During my period of seclusion, it was impossible to attend proper magic lessons. With time to spare, it was necessary to condition my body.

As I gasped for air, my body lowered and rose repeatedly close to the ground.

“Huff, huff… but before I can spar with that creature, I need to become stronger. Besides, he’s so elusive that you never know when he might appear.”

[Indeed. Lady Merilda not only roams the Northern Forest but the entirety of Aken Island. She’s considered an elder of the forest, making sporadic appearances in the faculty and residential buildings… It can be quite troubling when business arises.]

“Why would they visit such places?”

[Lady Merilda inherently harbors a great fascination with human civilization. She’s curious about books written by humans, different culinary cultures, ways of life. She wanders to observe directly, borrows books under a guest status at the library, or enjoys the scenery.]

Considering her nature, it made sense why she became friendly with Enika so swiftly.

Keeping that in mind, I labored my trembling arms and core muscles even harder.

Eventually, completely drained, I collapsed and reflected on my face mirrored by a nearby water puddle.

[Name: Ed Rostrailer]

Gender: Male Age: 18 Year: 3 Species: Human Achievements: Astute Survivor (1 year) / High-Ranking Elemental Summoner Physical Strength: 14 Intelligence: 13 Dexterity: 15 Wisdom: 12 Luck: 11 Combat Ability Detailed>> Magic Ability Detailed>> Life Ability Detailed>> Alchemy Ability Detailed>> It’s almost delightfully frustrating to look at—as if admiring a tower of gold bricks you’ve built on your own. Reaching a player’s mid-to-high tier level specifications in just over a year is unbelievable progress. Having embedded in my mind the growth patterns of players, I held an advantage.

As each stat nears 20, progress slows considerably, and nearing the late teens, one might need to complete hidden quests just to see any changes in their abilities. Considering that, I am approaching the upper limit of what non-protagonist like me can attain.

To break through that barrier, I require a solid catalyst.

Of course… presently, more urgent than such thoughts is advancing in the field of magic. The longstanding ambition of mastering intermediate magic is due for completion.

‘Yes… I cannot just be content with this…’

With this resolve, I sprang up.

“Oh my.”

There, on the rock where I had been seated, a girl with a fox-like cunning smile was perched.

It’s unclear when she arrived but her one-sided tied hair and the deep-set robe were ever-present.

“I was quite enjoying the view until now.”

It became clear to me then, the direction of Lorotel’s gaze as she looked at me.

As I had completely stripped of my top, I was essentially half-naked.

*

“It’s important to rest when it’s time to rest. There’s no cure for training addiction.”

Lorotel was grinning, dabbing at my sweat with a dry towel. Invisibility and elusiveness weren’t beholden only to Merilda, as Lorotel had always had a knack for emerging whenever and wherever she pleases.

“Coming all the way to this cliffside to seclude yourself… You must be feeling frustrated, senior.”

“Once you get used to it, it’s actually quite manageable. To be honest, it feels a bit more liberating than being in the forest.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Since I’m getting all the necessary help with basic living necessities.”

“From Senior Enika?”

“Mostly.”

“Hmm…”

Lorotel trailed off and wore a meaningful smile, gathering a little mana to scan the surroundings.

“You were training with the spirits?”

“…Don’t you have barely any spirit sensitivity?”

“Well, yes. But I could see you, Senior Ed, from a distance.”

Then, grabbing my arm, she whispered in my ear.

“Which means the spirits saw it all, too.”

Her cunning smile seemed to enjoy the situation itself.

I glanced down at Mug and Laysia.

The ever-stoic Laysia was shaking her head in disapproval, while Mug was in its own fiery frenzy, no longer a surprise given its habitual overreactions.

With a smooth motion, Lorotel slid her hand up my arm, speaking softly.

“As I mentioned, I’m planning to visit Princess Penia today. I’ll gather some intelligence regarding Tanya and discuss the upcoming election.”

“The election? You mean the student council president election?”

“Yes. It seems like an opportunity to make a tidy sum of gold coins.”

As I looked at Lorotel incredulously, she laughed openly, resting her head on my shoulder.

Even in the slightest crevice, money can be found.

If she has a chance to gain, she never lets it slip by. So even in this chaotic situation, there appears to be a gold mine visible only to her.

“Before going to the royal quarters, there’s a few things I’d like to discuss and consult with you, Senior.”

“I can roughly guess what it is.”

“Well, first… Releasing the two knights Cadec and Nox that you mentioned is easy. Eventually, we’ll leave Aken Island and never return, so we can just employ some people and sneak them out.”

It won’t be easy to sneak them out, but Lortel’s thin smile is filled with a certain confidence.

“With the chaotic election period like now, the investigation into the murder of Ed Senior is in full swing, Ophilis Manor isn’t in the best condition, and we still have to keep up with the academic calendar, right?”

“That’s true.”

“The more turbulent times are, the more opportunities arise. After all, even a scholarly group is a small society made up of people, right? Negotiations, enticements, incitements to betrayal, bribes, kidnappings. There are endless methods.”

“…”

“Of course, I won’t use methods that would make Ed Senior uneasy, but at least it won’t be for free, right? I’ll have to see about the exact price, but at least I should receive some advance payment~.”

Then, flinging her head which was leaning on her shoulder, she lay her chin there… and with a full-blown smile, she spoke.

“Would you give me a hug?”

Suddenly I feel breathless because after all, I am also a man.

We look at each other blankly for a moment, and thinking that it’s alright, I boldly open my arms… and Lortel pushes her petite body in.

However, it was Lortel herself who pushed away from my chest with a heavy breath.

“Ah, wait a moment, Senior.”

“What’s… what’s the matter?”

“Originally, you know… offense and defense are different matters. I’m a bit flustered too.”

She turns red when it suits her, but now she is blushing.

“It feels so different from what I imagined a few times before coming here.”

“…”

“No, I mean, why are you undressing your jacket to begin with? It’s just causing blood to rush to my head unnecessarily.”

“…If you do that, what am I supposed to be…”

Adapting to Lortel’s reactions is quite difficult.

Yenica feels comfort as if she returned home when she spends time with her. Naturally, that lively girl has a unique power to put people at ease.

However, Lortel is always hiding her cunning intentions and then putting on an innocent expression, often causing more confusion to those she interacts with. It’s hard to determine what beat to respond to.

“Just keep in mind that I’m also walking a tightrope internally. It’s not polite to let your guard down and make a move too soon.”

“Who’s making a move all of a sudden…? I’m just doing everything as you wish, now.”

“That, that is true indeed…”

Lortel looks down for a moment then slowly moves back into my embrace.

Leaning her small body into mine… she finally seems to relax her tension and lays her weight on me.

As the head of Elte Trading Company and known as the Gold Demon, her name alone has enough influence to make the ground shake with every step she takes.

Yet, her body is as light as a feather, and even when nestled fully against my chest, my body doesn’t flinch.

Behind all facades, people are usually like this when you get right down to it.

Even those who seem so grand and serious—once you strip away all pretenses and meet their gaze, they are just human. It’s during moments like this, when facing the actual person, that one can truly grasp this reality.

“The truth is, I wanted to hear your answer in advance.”

After being embraced, she seems ready to get to the heart of the matter, her sly smile gone and without curling her words fox-like, she asks directly.

“Do you remember the promise we made last time?”

“…”

“Someday, pleas stand on my side just once.”

I have a memory of speaking of this during an intense winter, at the river of the northern forest, looking up at the low hanging moon.

“I think I’ll be making many enemies. Even if I had to turn the whole faculties against me… at least I want you, Senior, to stay on my side.”

“You have something planned, haven’t you?”

Lortel looks up from my chest, meeting my gaze again, and shows her smile once more.

“I just really don’t want to become enemies with you, Senior.”

Then, she says.

“I’m going to sell off the student council presidency.”

Merchants, after all, are those who know how to sell anything that has value.

*

“Ophilis Manor has been basically restored. The damage wasn’t extensive. It was mostly just simple repair work. The facility operations have already normalized.”

“That so? Then we can continue using Ophilis Manor without any problems.”

“If there’s nothing wrong with your room, just do as you please.”

With her brunette hair falling neatly and wearing her uniform, Kylee Eckne greets the school guide and leaves Trix Manor.

The spring sky, stretching as high as the autumn’s, with the sunbeams breaking through, stimulating the eyes intermittently.

With the eyes of a holy maiden, still marveling at every single thing in the world, the light of this sky seen from the outside… is different from what was seen through the congested windows of Saint Castle.

She has made a fair number of friends, met respectable people, and trusted professors.

After finishing the day’s routine and returning to the residence, there’s no need to preside over every prayer ceremony as a holy maiden and no one comes for confession at every chance… I guess this is what freedom tastes like, she thinks.

Kylee sits on a wooden bench nearby, quietly enjoying the crisp spring breeze.

‘I have to live each day fully…! Who knows when such a time will come again in my life…!’

With clenched fists, Kylee summons her strength but soon releases it with a sigh.

The school’s atmosphere has been gloomy lately.

Images of the third-year senior seen shivering in a cabin during the snowstorm, and the concept of freedom being both light and heavy, not a romantic and lovely adventure found only in adventure stories.

The sight of meat and animal skins, formidable hunting tools, and cold creeping through the log floor, and in that gap, a man glancing down at the girl in the dark… was vividly implanted in Kylee’s memory.

It was also shocking when she recognized that face in the newsletter announcing his death, and the fact that her first friend at the academy, Tanya, was identified as a suspect and went missing… was beyond imagination.

‘Such is the tumultuous nature of the world, so much different from the static view from Saint Castle.’

Feeling somewhat disheartened for a moment…

“Still… I can’t just remain deflated!”

Kylee reaffirms her resolve with a firm grip.

Despite the tragedy, there’s nothing Kylee can do.

She’s already overwhelmed with studies. Moreover, she must make as many friends as possible, gaining varied experiences to shine in academy life.

Kylee stands up with this in mind. She was thinking of returning to the dormitory, but…

“♪ ♬ ♪”

A mysterious girl hums past the bench where Kylee was seated.

The first thing that strikes her is the unusual walk. It’s light and delicate as if riding the wind. At a glance, it seems almost weightless.

‘Ah, she’s beautiful…’

The girl has her bright white hair tied back like a horse’s tail. Her brisk steps make her hair flutter lightly.

Yet, her outfit is strange.

She looks every bit the sprightly young girl of a student’s age.

However, the simple, thin-strapped, white dress leaves her shoulders bare… it’s clear she’s not a student.

She doesn’t look like faculty, nor does she seem to be an outsider here on business.

The impression she gives off is bold, but the girl carries a bundle of books. They vary in thickness and material, with completely different content – art, history, magic, biographies, economics, philosophy… She may seem vivacious, but she could also be rather knowledgeable.

Kylee’s curiosity piques. Especially since one of her main goals is to make many friends.

With today’s classes done, Kylee nods to herself and decides to strike up a conversation.

But the white-haired girl is so fast that she’s difficult to catch.

She hums along effortlessly, but with Kylee’s frail body, she can’t keep up with her pace.

Feeling even more fascinated and determined to follow her, Kylee finds herself at the entrance of the northern forest without realizing.

Just as she starts to feel something is off…

*

“Ooh…!”

Lucy, buried in her bed playing with a pillow, inwardly admires her own action.

If she shapes the pillow nicely and sets it up… she can even stand this soft pillow vertically…!

She had no idea…! A discovery of the century…!

“…”

Suddenly feeling futile, Lucy buries herself back into the bed.

Lucy, not taking proper care of her meals, has lost track of how many days have passed. Judging by the long period of endurance, it must have been at least five days.

“Hey… roughly how many days are left…?”

The maid currently on duty, keeping a 24-hour close watch in shifts of 4 hours, smiled casually and replied.

“You have 646 hours left.”

The remaining time… D-27…!

“Oh, right. I found out that the confinement disciplinary measure was passed yesterday. It seems to have been delayed from its original date. Administrative processes are always like this. So… I’m sorry, but we have to start counting from yesterday.”

“……….”

D?29…!!