How to Survive at the Academy
chapter-57

Glast Taming Battle (6)

There are a lot of buildings.

Such thoughts naturally arose when looking down at the view of the faculty buildings from the rooftop of Triss Hall.

Obel Porcius often hears people say he’s young. However, this is relative to the position he holds, not his absolute age.

Obel hasn’t even reached his sixties yet. Among the many who have held the position of headmaster of the Sylvania Academy, he is particularly young.

Since his days as a newly appointed professor, he settled firmly into his academic role, and before he knew it, it had been 28 years. Now, there are hardly any higher positions left in the academic field.

The world has changed a lot too.

The faculty district, which used to consist of just six or so buildings, is now bigger than a modest village. One has to stand on a hillock to take in the whole view. Considering that the dormitory complex has also almost doubled in size, the Sylvania Academy has grown significantly during his tenure.

Before realizing it, Obel had become the person who had spent the longest time at Sylvania.

Of course, this includes the students who must eventually graduate, as well as the accomplished professors whose careers don’t even come close to half of Obel’s tenure.

“I have no doubt that this is the golden era of Sylvania Academy.”

Obel said this while standing with his hands clasped behind his back on the rooftop, and behind him, Headmaster McDowell, who was assisting him, nodded.

“If Headmaster Obel says so, it must be true.”

Obel’s experience and power were respected by everyone at Sylvania.

Obel Porcius quietly looked out over the outskirts of the faculty district, where smoke was rising. As with places where underground waterways were located, the area was nearly deserted, and despite its size, calling it a vital infrastructure was a bit of a stretch.

Golden era.

This year’s freshman class is the golden generation, a rarity throughout the history of Sylvania.

Lucy, Zix, Lortelle, Elvira, Clevius, Adelle, Eldin.

Just listing them in order of their grades shows the potential of each student, one that could aim to be the top of other grades.

It’s not just about academics.

Aila, who can absorb a vast amount of magical knowledge in an instant, shows the talent of a true scholar with her interesting insights.

Among the three imperial princesses of the Clorel Empire, Princess Phoenia, despite her reluctance, is overwhelmingly supported and is destined to walk the path of a ruler.

And… Taely McLore, who practices the Sword Saint’s Technique and is growing insanely strong at an unbelievable rate, is already a legend among the students.

What about next year? There are already several notable freshmen who have declared their intention to enroll.

Wade, the only son of Magnus, the commander of the Ironblood Legion that guards the northern borderlands.

Tanya, the second daughter of the most powerful Rothtaylor family on the continent.

Clarice, the saint of the Telos Church with the largest following in the Empire, and Claude, the descendant of the alchemist Cal, who is said to have personally created half the world’s toxins.

It seems ominous to have so many potential stars in one grade that you’d expect an overwhelming disaster just to give them a challenge. An unnecessary thought, but it’s the kind of crisis one might actually need to grapple with given this amount of talent.

Yet, no matter how many brilliant freshmen there are, ultimately, there will only be one shining at the very top.

A capricious mage who scatters her blessed mana, acting on her whims.

During his 28 years of service, Obel never once thought he would be outmatched by a student.

He is regarded as the closest in power to the great archmage Gluckt, among those who currently exist.

“Is it really okay to stand back and do nothing?”

Headmaster McDowell asked in a concerned tone.

Obel, who had been quietly staring down towards the underground waterway, shook his head.

Within McDowell’s words, concern was hidden.

A senior professor had triggered chaos. In doing so, a precious treasure of the academy was stolen.

What’s worse is the existence of kidnapped students; if there were casualties, Obel’s responsibility would increase exponentially.

It would be acceptable to issue a statement of apology and swallow one’s pride if it ended as a minor accident. However, there is no guarantee of what would happen if a student were to lose their life.

Yet, Obel did not move.

Tilting his gaze slightly downward toward the railing, one could see a mark where someone seemed to have sat and napped. Traces of jerked meat crumbs were scattered around the perimeter.

That trace of magic bore the star’s blessing, a power only the great archmages could wield. Following the direction in which the magic disappeared led to the underground waterway.

Within Sylvania Academy, a genius with extraordinary, exceptional power is the only one who could possibly rival Headmaster Obel.

Professor Glast rated her as a talent with the qualities of a great archmage that would go down in history.

Even if one was a seasoned scholar adept at high-level magic, one wouldn’t stand a chance against that girl who monopolizes divine love and wields almost cheating power.

“Professor Glast, huh…”

Obel slowly closed his eyes.

The passing of time seemed immaterial.

There was a time when Obel himself was a new professor. Professor Glast was the same.

Time and years wear people down and refine them.

Bit by bit, it shaves away the hot-blooded appearance of a fresh professor and rebirths one into a seasoned educator.

– ‘Headmaster Obel, how can this be! Please, say something!’

When Professor Glast had just been appointed as a new professor, Obel had already been the dean of the magic department.

Glast, with his gaunt and pallid appearance, had been a talkative fellow from those early professor days. Now, that is a thing of the past.

– ‘Is it not unfair to uniformly fail students from Dex Hall as poor performers? Are students with no talent not still students?’

– ‘The purpose of grading differences among students is to achieve higher academic success, not to divide the students’ very rank!’

– ‘It’s only natural that the heights one can reach depend on the talent they possess. However, it’s unacceptable for an educator to treat the untalented ones as if they are naturally disqualified!’

The youthful Professor Glast, pounding on the table as he raised his voice, is now nothing but a distant memory.

Days when he’d push research in divine magic studies aside, spending sleepless nights in the corner of the research room trying to plan an educational curriculum for the week that was even slightly more efficient. Now, that’s also part of a distant past.

Years and decades taught him much, changing many of his values.

And at the end of those years, whatever conclusion he draws, whatever proof he displays as he concludes his scholarly life…

“Growing old together isn’t always a good thing.”

Obel gazed at the expansive scenery before him, uttering a deep sigh that no one noticed.

The autumnal scene of a fading academy falls under the sunset.

At some point, the change of seasons doesn’t seem to hold much meaning.

It’s aging.

*

“Hey.”

I was sitting by a collapsed bookcase, head in hands.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.”

Maybe thinking I couldn’t hear and hence wasn’t responding, they kept calling me incessantly, which was somewhat annoying.

Lucy always calls me ‘hey’ in the exact same way. It’s predictably obvious what will follow.

“Do you have any more jerked meat?”

“Do I look like I would?”

“Ugh…”

Lucy blatantly showed her disappointment, lackadaisically swinging her feet in the air as if she couldn’t care less.

From the top of the opposite bookshelf, Lucy, fidgeting with her witch’s hat, looks just the same as always.

Having busted through the surface alone and reached this deep secret research room, one would think she’d be proud. Despite being capable of such a feat, Lucy just considered it akin to fetching a glass of water.

Of course, it’s not a situation in which I can simply express my gratitude for being saved.

“Anyway… thank you, Lucy.”

Since she came all the way down here to rescue me from this deep secret research room, I had to say thanks.

“But… how did you end up rescuing me…?”

Being questioned about why she rescued after the fact wasn’t exactly pleasant. But of course, it’s not as if Lucy cares about such formalities.

“That… the spirit mage asked me for help. At first, I thought of just leaving you because it was bothersome, but then it occurred to me that maybe I should. Plus, I was bored.”

Lucy flung her petite frame down from the bookshelf and lightly landed on the marble floor below.

The effortless grace with which she landed, sleeves flaring, didn’t seem remotely human.

In fact, a thoroughbred cat’s weight multiplied by a few times would be about the same as Lucy’s weight, so it’s only natural her movements appear non-human. As light as a feather, indeed.

That lighthearted agility is aided by various weight reduction and gravity manipulation spells she’s cloaked in.

“You felt you should rescue me?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure why, but lying there alone at camp, I felt bored and like I should rescue you.”

“…”

I stared at Lucy silently, who responded by yawning ostentatiously, as if unbothered.

“Hey.”

“What now.”

“Do you really have no jerked meat left? Like, at all?”

“Yeah.”

“…Ugh..”

Lucy didn’t voice her dissatisfaction, but her disgruntled mumbling made it clear she was indeed disappointed.

“Anyway, I’ve rescued you, so I should go. I need to lookout for a nice place to nap around here.”

“… You can’t.”

“…?”

At first glance, things don’t seem to be working out properly.

It’s beyond the point of just sighing about it. There’s obviously no rule that everything in the world must go as planned.

The situation seems worse than expected, but surely Taely’s specs should have grown sufficiently by now.

Like most games, Taely’s spec growth scales exponentially towards the later stages. If early and very late game growth efficiencies were similar, that would be more surprising.

If Taely maintained the growth rate up till now, skipping a few bosses shouldn’t pose a huge issue.

As witnessed in the final act of the first scene, the key is to avoid situations where story progression is hindered by not mastering essential skills. The bosses that offer training points for the Sword Saint Technique are set: Glast in the final act, the demon in the underground waterway, the researcher Kum, and the cyclops. Training point efficiency is high because they naturally appear towards the end of the scenario.

So far, so good… still…

“Just stay attached to me and go wherever I go.”

“…”

I laid my hands on Lucy’s shoulders and made it clear.

If the spec growth itself is still rectifiable, the priority should be to eliminate routes that could lead to a bad ending.

Lucy’s variable in the final scene of Act 2 has driven many players to a bad ending.

We must avoid the specific situation where she is persuaded by Professor Glast to become antagonistic towards Taely.

Compared to the risks involved, preventing it is simple.

Just keep Lucy from meeting Glast. Keeping strict surveillance on Lucy to prevent any mischief should suffice.

It’s as if I’m her caretaker… but given the circumstances, it makes sense.

“Why?”

With a lackluster and dazed look, Lucy inquired why all this fuss.

Why, indeed? Providing an explanation becomes a tricky challenge.

Looking into those dazed eyes, a past memory flickers through my mind.

What does the character Lucy Mayrill mean to someone who has played “Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman” countless times?

She represents the first obstacle, an insurmountable hurdle for any player.

The final act of Act 3, the Lucy Suppressing Battle.

At the peak of Orun Mountain, she summons all four top-tier spirits and flings high-level magic of all tiers as easily as if they were basic spells. She’s a living natural disaster that even the amassed efforts of all faculty, the royal family, the merchant guild, and internal academic factions couldn’t suppress.

I remember the first attempt, where having access to just one spell of her caliber was considered endgame, leaving the player only able to withstand her attacks, consuming all consumable items in the process. Ultimately, players alone can’t win; only by gathering NPCs with endgame specs can victory be grasped.

Until reaching Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman’s final ending, there’s no way to develop the specs needed to defeat Lucy.

From understanding elemental weaknesses to consuming items, strategy implementation – there is no methodology that can truly conquer her abilities.

The only way to get past her relentless onslaught is through the combined powers within the game world. She’s designed to be beaten only by uniting the strongest NPCs.

Taely might temporarily overpower Lucy or even outmaneuver her using a multitude of tricks… But that’s only when he resorts to doubling or tripling his cunningness. Fundamentally, no one can match Lucy’s strength—at least not in this era of our tale. She’s the girl who has monopolized the love of the gods and has been endowed with a power and mana sensitivity that verges on cowardice. Even in her current state, she exhibits a ridiculous amount of power, yet this is only half of what her talent can truly awaken. If we were to represent each character’s power with a bar graph, Lucy’s would burst through the chart, making everyone else appear ordinary. Even in the setting documents, Lucy’s graph is separated because she is a being that cannot be standardized. Therefore… Lucy is an uncontrollable variable. She roams the city freely, like a stray cat… Untouchable by anyone. She goes wherever she pleases, eats whatever she desires, and sleeps whenever she feels like it. No one can discern her thoughts, and her actions are unpredictable.

– Sniff, sniff.

And here she is, rubbing her nose on the back of my hand without a word, sniffing as if searching for the scent of jerky. This behavior is so emblematic of who she is that I’m at a loss for words.

“I don’t need to stick by your side, you know. You’re safe now.”

Though absent-minded, her voice has a certain purity to it, speaking the apparent truth.

It would be futile to try explaining anything in detail to this girl, who naturally struggles with conversation.

“Lucy. You’re strong. That’s why I feel safe around you.”

“…”

“There are times, even without doing anything or saying much, just having you by my side makes me feel secure. Don’t you get what that’s like?”

“….”

Lucy, with her vacant eyes, slowly responds.

“I know.”

“Yes, exactly.”

While whining, Lucy’s loose sleeve flails about.

“But that’s entirely your problem.”

“Right. That’s why I’m asking you. Just stick with me until I can get out of this subterranean waterway, please.”

“If you want to get out of this underwater passage, I can let you out.”

“There are things I must attend to before I leave.”

“Ugh.”

Annoyance spreads across her face.

“Fine. But I have a favor to ask as well.”

“…”

With dull eyes, she stretches out her arms wide into the air, indicating she’s looking for a place to nap.

It’s not much trouble to carry this tiny girl.

When I lift her, she’s surprisingly light, almost questioning if this is the weight of a real person.

As I hoist Lucy onto my back, she naturally wraps her arms around my neck, adjusts her position with a few kicks, and prepares for a deep sleep. Resting her chin on my shoulder, she hums contentedly, as if she’s found the most comfortable spot in the world.

It doesn’t take long for a deep snoring sound to follow.

That’s right, as long as Lucy is here, tightly in my grasp, she’s not going anywhere.

Let’s quickly finish up the task at hand.

Despite the library being half-destroyed, there is still much to retrieve.

Now that Reyna has been subdued, we can take as much as we want without scrutiny and head towards the underground channel.

If we encounter Yenika and others who came to rescue me along the way, we’ll quickly assure them everything is okay and lead them out after showing myself unharmed.

If we happen to meet Taely, we should update him on Aila’s condition. Then, he’ll likely join the chase after Glast more vigorously.

The group aiming to pursue Glast must be breaking through the lower channels by now.

Just me, running counter to the course, enacting a solo escape act, the irony isn’t lost on me.

*

Taely’s group progresses deeper into the underpass. Tension envelops them all.

They felt unease the moment they reached the entrance, encountering a passed-out Dorothy amongst the debris of numerous golems.

Inside these subterranean channels… something is rampaging, indiscriminately demolishing everything in sight.

“Do not let your guard down…!” Taely McLore, although not yet a Sword Saint, has grown enough that his peers cannot approach him carelessly. Even if not quite up to the standard of the first-year aces, he has acquired a robust set of combat skills. During midterm exams, even Zix had no choice but to applaud Taely’s progress.

Taely had faced numerous trials, overcoming them through sheer willpower and diligence, painting a picture of his life.

Zix always respected Taely, recognizing the distinctive venom that flows through those who have spilled blood and shaved bone in their struggle to survive.

“Do we really need to go deeper? At a glance, it seems like there’s someone else inside this waterway…. Didn’t you hear that vibrating sound…? There was a massive earthquake…! Shouldn’t we…. just avoid this danger and get out…?”

As Clevius, trembling with fear, speaks up, Elvira steps hard on his foot.

“Talking nonsense again, Clevius! Are you not going to save Aila?”

“Well, to start with…! All Aila ever did was get mad at me! Why should I want to rescue such a woman? Plus, that… Ed Rothtaylor… do we have to save that guy too?! Why do we have to go this far?!”

“Clevius.”

A quiet, calm voice cuts through the underpass. It’s Taely.

“I’m really sorry. But I truly want to save Aila. Please, let me ask this of you.”

Taely had already bowed respectfully to Clevius. Clevius, now regretting his words, seems pitiful, yet Taely bows again.

Clevius stammers.

“Urgh. Ugh…! Damn…! Why are you doing this to me!”

Clevius knows Aila is a good person.

It’s not just that he disdainfully considers Clevius’ constant urge to flee; she tries to admonish him and set him straight.

“Don’t back out now that we’ve come this far, Clevius.”

Zix pats Clevius’ shoulder a couple of times, then reassesses the members of the expedition.

Underachieving Sword Saint Taely, Spear of Greens Zix, gloomy Clevius, meddlesome Elvira… And the romantic Adelle.

“Oh dear.”

The blonde girl, tuning her mandolin among the group, flashes a charming smile. Her warm features and gentle voice seem to alleviate mental fatigue for those who listen. A couple of daffodils tucked in her ear struggle to display their full color against the paleness of Adelle’s skin. Cascading blond hair is punctuated with hairpins modeled after daffodils, cosmos, roses, tulips, and likely around a dozen adorn her hair.

The prophetess Adelle, or rather, self-proclaimed romantic Adelle.

“I haven’t heard much about Aila, but seeing everyone so eager to rescue her, she must be a wonderful person.”

“Yes. Aila’s like a life partner to me.”

“Taely, even so, you need to be firm in your resolve.”

Prior to being a sorceress, Adelle is an astrologer. While not always spot-on, her glimpses into the future, informed by the stars, often hit the mark.

“The enemy we’re about to face… I have a feeling it won’t be easy.”

Glast’s actions suggest this theft of the Sage’s Seal was meticulously planned. He must have anticipated this chase to some extent. There’s a good chance he’s prepared traps and other means to shake off any pursuers. The fragments of demon golems at the entrance are likely a sign of this.

Even Dorothy, the senior alchemy student, apparently succumbed to whatever lies ahead in this pipeline. If even she couldn’t overcome it, they must be vigilant.

So, the group continues, focusing intently and moving forward.

– Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, a noise comes from around the corner.

– Aaahhhhh!

A sharp cry of a woman adds to the urgency, and the team looks at each other before rushing forward. Someone is there.

As they round the corner, they’re confronted by a massive flame spirit.

In the broad junction of the waterway, which almost looks like a plaza, several paths converge at this central point.

In the middle stand two individuals.

“Please…! I don’t know anything! I was just ordered to oversee…! That’s all…! Please! Just once, let me go! Just once!”

A girl. Her back is turned, her face unseen.

But the one enveloped by spirits, screaming in terror, is someone they know all too well.

Among the first-year professors, Assistant Professor Claire is a favorite among students for her youthful mindset and approachable manner.

Despite her title, she surpasses most students in foundational combat magic… But this time, her opponent was too much for her.

The girl leans on her oak butterfly wand, whispering something—no more than six letters—in Claire’s ear.

“I don’t know! I really don’t! It wasn’t planned! It was just… just a whim…! Please…!”

Tears stream down before exhaustion overtakes Claire; she collapses to the ground of the waterway.

Sitting down, she scrambles backward, reaching the wall. The spirits roar, and Claire ultimately loses consciousness.

The girl still has her back turned.

But the party already knows who she is.

Especially Taely and Elvira, who have faced this girl as an enemy twice before.

The terror incarnate wielding mighty mid-ranking spirits to protect Ed in the Ophelius building still haunts them.

Even with Tarkan’s power not fully restored, the thought of defeating her seemed improbable, even at that incomplete stage.

Now Taely and Elvira have improved. The fight might be more manageable.

But back then, the girl hadn’t used her full strength either.

Without Ed to stop her here, it becomes clear—what they glimpsed of her power in Ophelius was just a sample.

Learned fear rises in Taely. He swiftly unsheathes his sword into a defensive stance.

“Hmm… wasn’t it left, left, right, left, right? Did I go too far right…? Hmm…”

The girl speaks into the darkness before turning around. She senses the presence of Taely’s party.

Sneaking a glance from among the spirits, the girl usually seems lively, but no one can open their mouths easily.

“Oh, hello, kids.”

Everyone’s expressions stiffen, except for Zix, who seems oddly pleased.

Considering the shawl found near Dorothy’s collapse at the entrance of this underpass, adorned with lovely cosmos embroidery… undoubtedly belongs to this girl.

She must be the one who overpowered Dorothy upon entering the underground waterways.

Although the details are unclear, after witnessing both the kind Claire’s terror and collapse, they can’t let their guard down.

The group swallows dryly, tightening their postures. Only Zix seems puzzled by their demeanor.

Amid the spacious crossroads of the underground channel, stands the intruder, Yenika Faelover.

Far too formidable an opponent for Taely’s party’s first confrontation.

But there are times when courage alone must drive one forward, regardless of the odds. After all, their desire to save Aila is genuine.

‘Why are they looking at me like that…?! Did I, did I do something wrong…? Perhaps… I was too harsh on Assistant Professor Claire…? But she started panicking on her own after just a question…’

But timid Yenika couldn’t voice her thoughts, scolding the spirits internally instead.

Time is of the essence.

She worries that without her help, Ed, who has quite a few enemies, could be in trouble. Surely no one but her can save him. She has to worry about doing too many things at once.

” Busy to death, that’s what…!”