How to Survive at the Academy
chapter-185

Ed Trobvell (8) Ed Rothtaylor. [Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman] Act 1 Mid-Boss. Spewing cliché villainous lines, he tormented Taely McLore, showing a despicable state in his downfall. He might have been hastily inserted to regulate the sagging pace at the beginning of the story… that’s the kind of expendable character he is. Despite various mid-bosses with their own backgrounds, and final bosses climbing to the role of black curtain for each act for their reasons, Ed Rothtaylor was by far the most shallow. From Yenika Faelover, Glast, Lucy Mayrill, Crebin Rothtaylor, to Bellbrook of the Fortress Dragons, whether crushed by the weight of expectations or twisted by the pain of loss, whether promises to those who left linger or whether they assumed pure evil to survive, these climactic foes each had their reasons for taking the stage. Then what could be granted to Ed Rothtaylor, who should have silently vanished without a tale to tell? It’s said there’s value in a life not as a protagonist, but surely that weight is different. Even if twisted fate placed him in the role of the ultimate villain, what could he possibly have to say, with such a background? Having decided to end his life in despair after leaving his family, what words would he really have left? Thus, [Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman] did not grant him any stage. Quietly stepping down behind the scenes to contemplate life at sunset. For those dwelling outside the spotlight, reliving an unhappy life, no grand tale emerges when light shines upon them. Their stories unfold unseen. Even if they suddenly twist into the final boss of an act, nothing changes. From being an embarrassing exit of a third-rate villain at the beginning of the stage to becoming the last black curtain of an act, no matter how much changes, his purpose remains singular: Survive. We must survive.

– Tap, tuk-tuk. As if responding to that thought, a few raindrops fell. Although I expected a downpour, it came earlier than thought. Drops fall intermittently, dampening Ed Rothtaylor’s campfire, and murky smoke rises slightly. Aila Triss raises her voice at him across the weakening fire.

“It didn’t have to go this far.”

Nonchalantly, as if merely suggesting a sparring match. Aila had been lured by Ed Rothtaylor with promises like that.

“I think it’s time I return to Taely,” she says. Ed Rothtaylor doesn’t respond, elbow on knee. Aila looks back. If I start running now, what time will it be when I reach the Elte Trading Company building? An image of bustling Taely appears suddenly. Could he really overcome all those obstacles? It seems like him. As Aila turns her gaze again, there sits the instigator of all this—Ed Rothtaylor, silently watching her amidst the sporadic raindrops. He is far more rational than Aila had imagined. A man accompanied by logical reasons for all his actions. That’s why this situation did not make sense to her.

-The rain intensifies, both outside Elte Trading Company and within 3rd Floor. A determined Taely unsheathes his sword in front of Yenika Faelover. Intuition whispers that victory is impossible, even if a sliver of a chance, one in a thousand, one in ten thousand emerges. Dominating high spirits, with hosts of middle and lower spirits adding in their hundreds—just too many. If it were possible to strike at her true body, there might be hope for victory, but the spirits will not stand idly in attack’s way. Plus, Yenika has various defenses for her protection. Approach with perceptible speed and shock-strengthening pulse spheres will trigger. Try to use magic and a mana phase distortion device will activate. Even if a blow is struck against all odds, the tiny hourglass dangling on Yenika’s waistbelt will reverse even that strike’s effect. Legendary magical engineering artifact – Delheim Hourglass. Only after pouring countless hours into magical engineering can one be crafted—an item Ed Rothtaylor, well-connected as he is, would only pass on to his most trusted allies. Proving it, those various support items wrapped around the girl reflect high performance in every one. Taely hears a weak inner voice. Lay down your sword. Run away, cowardly. No one will blame you. Even if you flee from this point, no one will call you a coward. You’ve done enough. Blood flows from your body, legs about to give out. It’s okay to fall here. You’ve tried hard. But Taely McLore shakes his head, clearing the rising distracting thoughts, focusing once again.

-Rain hits harshly against the sides of the Trading Company, slipping down the walls. Clevius lies collapsed in the building’s front yard. Elvira, completely exhausted, somehow drags him under a small roof attached to the exterior wall. She sits, holding Clevius’s head, calmly watching the rain.

-On the 1st floor, Zix pushes aside debris, dusts himself off—no serious injuries. Taely never intended to hurt Zix in the first place; he just wanted to get him out of the way. Zix hadn’t anticipated the ground would collapse with just one sword strike. Catching his breath, he rests among the fragments, hoping nobody else is seriously injured. He makes a silent resolution. Out in the woods, Lortelle too feels a droplet on his nose. Taking a moment to look up, he sighs heavily and flips his hood, moving towards the quieter faculty area… blending deeper into the night’s darkness. Lortelle prays. For everything to end well. For the return of control over the Trading Company, and to share fanciful jokes beside the fire with Ed once more. In front of Din, sweating buckets as he continues his story, both Lucy and Princess Fenya also feel the raindrops. The guards rush out flusteredly, draping a cover over Fenya and Lucy’s heads. The falling rain taps and echoes by their ears. Din buys time to think, but his cornered situation remains unchanged. Lucy shakes out her skirt, glaring at him.

-Trissiana Bloomriver, sitting alone on the 4th floor of Elte Trading House, tending to her staff, faces the same. Rain trickles down through a gaping hole in the ceiling, she shakes her head clear and steps deeper into the corridor. Exhaling with a huff, she leans nearby, quietly watching the rain. Much hangs in balance this night, the last dawn before the new term. Everyone watching the rain has their own thoughts, awaiting the morning sun. Taely and Aila are no different.

– Clang! Swords clash against teeth. An undulating snake spirit bites into Taely’s right forearm. Taely screams, trying to grab and remove the snake, but the wound only tears more. Then the lion and tiger spirits charge. His sword blocks their teeth, but his legs give out, and he collapses.

– Crash! Bang! What would usually be a bearable attack brings Taely to his knees. Thrown against the corridor’s outer wall, windows shatter, glass showering over him. Taely screams as the invading rain strikes his body, intensifying the pain from the waterlogged wounds. It’s time to give up. No one is forcing you to keep going. Once more, that voice resounds. But Taely clenches his teeth, rising again. The grand doors open. Ahead, the VIP waiting room. Yenika Faelover, standing quietly by a sofa, doesn’t look too pleased. She doesn’t want to batter Taely anymore than necessary as he rushes in, battered. But she’s not one to break a promise with Ed Rothtaylor. Her face seems to wish that Taely would just give up appropriately. She doesn’t want to continue attacking her battered opponent. Yenika, Zix, and even Aila now hope that he would just give in and collapse. Yet Taely… he stands up again, drenched, his swordsman’s uniform clinging, his white hair glued to his face, looking miserable. A fiery will. But the soaked figure barely standing looks pathetic.

“You know how hard Taely has struggled, don’t you, senior?”

The dying embers. In the rain, Aila yells at Ed.

“It should have stopped by now!”

“…”

“Taely has fought his way this far already… there’s no need for such relentless trials!”

Walls Ed Rothtaylor has placed… are too much for even the most determined Taely to break through. Aila never expected more than a few sparring sessions, but contrary to her expectations, Ed is mercilessly crushing Taely. It’s far too much, even for Aila, who owes Ed a significant debt and feels some regret, which is why she joined Taely’s proposal. However, Aila no longer wants to take part in Ed’s scheme.

“Do you think you’re doing the right thing, senior Ed?! Even if Taely becomes stronger through all this, is that really for his sake?!”

Aila shouts amid the downpour. The endgame black curtain. Fallen noble Ed Rothtaylor. Even if Taely reaches him, overcomes him, and faces the end of his trials… even if he emerges stronger, is that truly for the sake of Taely?

“Don’t impose your own self-righteousness on Taely.”

The rain continues to batter the ground. The pounding rain almost drowns out all other sounds. Yet Aila’s voice rings through, unmistakably…

Ed touched Aila.

Soaked with rain, Ed did not respond, his head hung low amidst Aila’s heartfelt cries.

“Taely… Taely…! It’s enough now. You’ve done what you could…”

“Aila Triss.”

Ed Rothtaylor, rising quietly, looked at Aila.

Aila inadvertently held her breath at the sight of Ed’s expression, which was even more serious than she had expected.

Ed Rothtaylor was a man who was always calm and rational. Seeing genuine emotion in his eyes for the first time, Aila was so startled that she even forgot to breathe.

Everyone would think of him upon hearing ]Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman];.

As Taely’s companion, Aila Triss always stood by him, always encouraging and affirming him.

She had lived through a hellish reality, whether amidst the gunfire of a battlefield or the deceiving peace of a city. There was never a moment that wasn’t painful.

Perhaps that was why she found solace in Taely. Playing as Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman multiple times, she drew strength from watching him overcome dire trials and cruel fate.

Even if it seemed meaningless now, the memories remained clear in her mind.

In the rain, Ed Rothtaylor approached and grabbed Aila by the collar.

“Even if others think so, what will you do if you, Aila, don’t believe in him?”

“… Wha… what are you saying?”

“Bearing his teeth, he is enduring. If you urge him to give up… what do you suggest he do? It’s you, Aila, of all people…”

Ed gritted his teeth as he spoke to Aila.

Seeing Ed Rothtaylor this close and filled with raw emotion was a first for her.

Not fury, nor disappointment, but something in between.

Ed Rothtaylor had always been the quietly devoted scholar – mysterious in his own way – and now, she saw a completely different side of him.

“There’s no reason… to go to such lengths…!”

“If we don’t, we’ll all die.”

“What…?”

“I didn’t expect you to believe from the start… But now, whether you believe or not is no longer my concern. However, since you insist so much, I’m not at a loss for reasons.”

Ed Rothtaylor continued, still clutching Aila’s collar.

“Whether you think I’m crazy or you accuse me of cowardly excuses… that’s up to you…”

The name Sacred Dragon Bellbrook.

With the mention of that name from Ed’s lips, Aila’s pupils trembled.

On the stage where final bosses always bear a burden, the expected act has entirely gone awry.

Although Act 4 has ended, it is unclear if we have truly entered Act 5 – everything is now a labyrinth.

The timing for the final battles of each act has already been advanced by months, and the very concept of regulation has long lost its meaning.

There is no telling when Bellbrook will resurrect or when the story’s end will come.

The future after Act 4, whether we’ll see Act 5 or if the narrative concludes there, is entirely uncertain.

Even the goal of casually living life until graduation has long lost its significance. The world no longer leaves Ed Rothtaylor alone.

In the weight of the rain pressing down upon him, Ed Rothtaylor, his clothes drenched, speaks.

Aila sees his image reflected in her pupils… unwaveringly serious.

If we have indeed entered Act 5, there must be a final boss that will end the story.

The fallen nobleman, Ed Rothtaylor.

His name belongs to the one who must close this floundering stage.

*Yenika Faelover remains motionless.

Even her gaze towards Taely is colder than ever before.

– Clang! Whoosh!

Taely, who had been sidestepping, was knocked away by Tarkan’s tail. After sliding across the wall of the VIP waiting area and tumbling once, Taely gets up from the dusty ground.

His consciousness is almost gone, moving almost on instinct. His pupils are rolling back, and it wouldn’t be strange if he lost consciousness any moment now.

Yenika swallowed dryly.

It felt like fighting a weebly-wobbly toy that keeps standing up no matter how much it’s hit. He should have lost consciousness by now, but he refuses to give up absolutely.

Instead, Taely’s attack patterns are increasingly diversified. Clinging to consciousness, he continued to search for a method of assured victory.

Appearing strong does not guarantee triumph over this opponent.

But the way to defeat elemental mages has always been predetermined – not by overpowering the elementals, but by subduing the elemental mage.

Yenika quietly lifted her staff, adorned with various magical engineering tools and engraved with various elemental formulas.

‘Lightning-Struck Millennial Tree Staff’. Already at her limit of sensitivity, Yenika’s resonances soared even higher.

Taely gritted his teeth and leapt from the ground, turning his body in the air to step on the ceiling as if it were the ground.

His target is Yenika Faelover herself.

Blade Arts – Elemental Cut.

Taely’s attack slices through the elementals around him, even splitting those that would normally resist.

Reversed summoning, the elementals fade as they become incorporeal.

Launching off the ceiling, Taely headed towards Yenika’s true form.

The elementals couldn’t just watch Taely’s movements. Tarkan swiftly lashed his tail to stop Taely, but Taely’s Elemental Cut split Tarkan’s tail in two.

It is a technique superior against elemental beings. Even during the first act against Tarkan, Tarkan couldn’t withstand Taely’s Elemental Cut.

However, no matter the advantage, an absolute difference in power cannot be overcome.

As Tarkan roared, releasing mana, the shockwave alone was enough to disrupt Taely’s direction.

Taely tumbles on the floor, attempting to aim again, yet is immediately struck by the lower elementals’ magic.

Already battered, even a small shock sends his consciousness reeling. Covered in blood, crying out, Taely once again sets his sights on Yenika.

And then the next Blade Art manifests.

Space Cutting.

Each Blade Art puts a strain on the body, yet instinct pulls Taely through, slashing through the elementals.

Nevertheless, Yenika Faelover did not budge an inch. Even though he managed to reach just steps from her, the ‘Shock Intensifying Wave Sphere’ emerged, repelling Taely away.

“Argh!”

Even a minor shock felt like his body was being torn apart.

Yet Taely clenched his spirit and stood once more. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Yenika.

“Why… why…”

He bleeds profusely, yet Taely bites down and speaks,

“Why are you… with that man… Why are you blocking my path…”

In the sight of the bleeding Taely, Yenika momentarily furrowed her brows.

By nature, she wasn’t so cruel. Even as adversaries, witnessing someone struggle so hard softened her heart.

However, Yenika Faelover’s resolve could not be broken.

Behind her stood Ed Rothtaylor. Yenika Faelover has no intention of sending Taely to Ed.

“It’s not a complicated story.”

Yenika, standing in the darkness, not a scratch on her, spoke with an unwavering voice.

“If Ed… has decided to play the villain…”

Without a change in expression, Yenika states with certainty,

“Then I’m the villain too. That’s all it is.”

No matter what happens, Yenika Faelover sides with Ed Rothtaylor. That fact remains unaltered even if the heavens turn.

“You would rush to Ed and battle him if you met him now.”

Ed Rothtaylor is in no state to fully harness his mana now. The backlash from the ring lingers.

Even though Taely is beaten and weary, the outcome of meeting Ed is unpredictable.

“… Of course.”

“If so, I have no intention of sending you to Ed either.”

Yenika speaks without a hint of hesitation.

“Give up. You know it yourself. Your journey ends here.”

The rain pours down on Elte Trading Company. The building, now failing to serve its original function, has turned into a chaotic mess.

Taely McLore will never breach this third floor.

The heavy reality weighs down upon him.

– Tap, tap!

The strength slowly drains from his hands holding the sword. Taely’s great sword, pushed to its limits, slides across the floor.

His legs falter, and finally, Taely kneels and sits down.

His shoulders slump, and so… slowly, Taely closes his eyes.

…

Yenika watches and sighs deeply.

He’s had his share of hardship.

It hasn’t been easy.

With everything seeming to come to an end, she is about to report to Ed through the elementals.

– Whoosh!

Blade Art – Swordless Technique.

With no sword, and only mana, this strike cuts through the air.

A mere mana sword technique cannot penetrate the elemental troops guarding Yenika.

However, Taely, nearly unconscious, instinctively manifests the next phase.

…

Yenika quickly wraps her body in mana, reaching for the Delheim Hourglass. But Taely’s attack was not aimed at Yenika.

The commander of the elemental troops guarding Yenika’s body, the giant fiery salamander.

Regenerating even its severed tail in an instant… the high elemental standing and occupying nearly all the space in the large VIP waiting room.

– Boom!

Following the Swordless Technique, the next Blade Art manifests from within Taely.

Blade Art – Dragon Slaying Sword.

The incisively sharp blade that could cut through any thick hide or scales instantly tears Tarkan in two.

A high elemental that even the faculty struggled with was reduced to pieces in the blink of an eye.

There’s barely any consciousness left in Taely’s eyes. Led by instinct alone… attempting to direct his attacks at Yenika’s true form…

– Clang!

Taely tumbles to the ground again. Now, he truly lacks the strength to even aim for a target.

Exhausting nearly all his vitality just to cut down Tarkan. Before Tarkan’s body pieces even hit the floor, Taely’s own form had already knocked up dust, rolling across the ground.

…

Yenika watches in wide-eyed silence.

Taely somehow tries to push himself off the ground, struggling to rise.

“Ergh, huack… Aargh!”

He tries desperately to stand, but Taely’s body no longer heeds his will.

Yenika quietly observes, then closes her eyes.

Yet in the eyes of Taely McLore, the will to fight still prevails.

That is the last variable.