How to Survive at the Academy Chapter 56

Glast subjugation battle (5)

“Please. I have to save Ayla. Help me just this once.”

Tailly, who bowed her head, was already quite wounded.

It was a wound sustained during the chase for Professor Glast, the first phase of the final battle of Act 2.

Ziggs Eiffelstein, who was training outside the teaching building, was confused when he saw Tailly like that.

As someone who didn’t know the exact situation, Tailly’s sudden action to ask for help felt very unexpected.

“What’s going on, Taily?”

*

The Soul Library is a large hall filled with all kinds of bookshelves.

There are many valuables in the outermost bookshelf along the exterior wall.

Of course, truly valuable rare magical engineering supplies and recipes for making legendary magical engineering supplies are located around Librarian Rayna’s table in the center of the Soul Library.

Since it is nearly impossible to approach that area without being affected by Raina’s detection magic, it would be better to search that area after this subjugation battle is roughly concluded.

“♬ ♪ ♩ “

Librarian Raina’s humming echoed in the spacious library hall. She had a gloomy, low-pitched, eerie voice.

First, let’s go around the outskirts, pick up some small grimoire replicas, and look for magic engineering supplies that can be disassembled and reassembled.

In particular, the ‘Thunderbolt Shout Generator’, a magic engineering item stored in the shelf in Column C, can be used to create a trap with an alarm, and the ‘One-way Light Blur Device’ can be used to create a window that allows light to pass through only in one direction.

Rather than being too greedy, just take that much for now and finish the rest by taking books that can be useful for studying.

You can keep the truly valuable magical engineering supplies when you can search them slowly without Rayna noticing.

While hiding between the bookshelves, I peeked my head out and looked into the center of the hall.

The librarian Reina, who is humming at the table… is floating in the air.

Reina is a monster, not a human. As a ‘Banshee’ whose soul is tied to this library, they are subject to their unique detection magic and detect intruders just by approaching within a 20m radius.

The hem of Raina’s skirt floated in the air as if she was floating underwater.

So, Raina was floating among all kinds of books and patrolling the library periodically.

Raina’s patrol pattern is quite familiar. Even if he enters a battle, he knows some strategy, so he can deal with it in any way.

However, that Reina is Tailley’s valuable experience.

If Tailly’s sword proficiency or other sword skills are not sufficiently trained, difficulties will arise against Professor Glast’s Aspect magic.

That’s it. If I don’t use my power against the disaster bosses I’ll face later… In particular, if Sword Seongsik doesn’t reach a certain level, there’s a high possibility that I’ll have to take responsibility for those enemies.

It’s too much of a hardship, and I don’t have the ability or will to take responsibility in the first place. So, for now, I decided not to touch the boss monsters in Professor Glast’s secret laboratory as much as possible.

Well, in fact, even if you don’t catch Rayna, Tailley’s power, which has already been growing, will not noticeably decline.

Is it just Raina? Even if you skip most of the bosses, your growth will not be delayed immediately. There is no problem as long as you catch the ‘Resurrected Demon of the Underground Waterway’, which is the most helpful for growth.

Still… there’s no harm in being careful, just in case.

I hid between the bookshelves and packed various parchments and recipes into my arms.

“Whoa…”

I tried my best to avoid the gaze of Rayna, who periodically walked and patrolled the bookshelves. At the same time, I grabbed whatever I could get my hands on.

Since it is difficult to figure out what kind of recipe it is unless you open it and read it one by one, I decided to just take as much as possible, thinking of it as a quantity over quality strategy.

When I came to my senses, I was quite satisfied with the weight in my arms.

[I don’t think my eyes will reach the exit now. Master Ed! ]

Mug told me in a whispering tone.

Not yet. You can’t let down your guard just because it’s out of sight. Rayna’s detection magic has nothing to do with vision.

Banshee Rayna does not judge the presence or absence of an enemy solely by sight, but detects the enemy by detecting magical power within a certain distance.

If you wait until you go a little deeper and don’t act, you’ll probably get caught.

I calmly walked back and forth between the bookshelves, patiently waiting for Reina to find an opening.

– Coogugung, boom.

“…hmm?”

When I came to my senses, I noticed that the earth was shaking slightly.

The sound of something rumbling from afar.

At first, I thought it was an illusion, so I ignored it, but as the books on the bookshelf began to shake, I began to feel a sense of crisis.

Is it an earthquake?

I don’t think there was such an event.

I thought it was just a simple incident, but soon the tremors became impossible to ignore.

[Eh, Master Ed! ]

“…what?”

Mug called me in an urgent voice. It was already to the point where I couldn’t maintain my balance without holding on to the bookshelf.

This vibration may not mean much to Raina, who is floating in the air, but other bookshelves are different.

Eventually, the bookshelves, unable to withstand the oncoming turbulence, began to fall one by one. They were all thankful forms of cover that hid my appearance.

As the bookshelves stopped doing their job and began to fall over, the role of cover that had been used to hide me could no longer be performed properly.

As a result, I was completely in Reina’s field of vision.

“♬ ♩ ———“

Banshee Raina’s snoring suddenly stopped.

And then he found me,

“Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

It let out a scream that sounded like scraping metal and began to emit magical power. For a moment, a sense that the scenery was distorted attacked me, and the surrounding bookshelves and books of magic began to float in the air.

Objects that were given new life by resonating with Raina’s soul magic began to move and run wild like a poltergeist phenomenon.

[Eh, Master Ed! What should I do! This, this! ]

“It’s okay! Running away is easy!”

Reina’s soul is tied to this library.

After taking control of the space with ignition magic, all you have to do is retreat towards the exit and stay out of Rayna’s range. It’s not that difficult.

I took a deep breath and rolled up my sleeves. It’s not like you can subdue Raina, all you have to do is run away. It’s not easy, it’s a piece of cake.

I began to gather magical energy into my body.

*

It is not an outfit suitable for battle. However, there was no time to change.

Lortel frowned, fluttering the hem of his semi-robe with many ornate decorations.

Lortel jumped out of the carriage, waved off the employees who were trying to dissuade him from going back to the conference room with one arm, and looked at the mouth of the underground waterway with its mouth wide open.

Two sturdy stone pillars firmly support both sides of the entrance. As I approached the street where I could see the downward slope leading to the basement, it felt like a peculiar moisture was sticking to my esophagus.

Once you reach the bottom, a well-maintained waterway extends underground. The space itself is large and neatly equipped with stone supports and exterior walls, so there is no more dust flying around than necessary.

However, even if the underground waterway was built using top-notch magic technology, it cannot easily withstand the winds and waves of time.

There’s mold growing here and there, or things are broken and broken… In the end, there’s no way to completely remove the traces of time.

This is not a place where Lortel, who is wearing a lot of clothes and accessories worth dozens of gold coins, should enter. These are luxury items that can change the amount recorded in the ledger even if just a few specks of dust get on them.

However, Lortel paid no heed and entered the waterway with great strides. Since bringing non-combat staff with them would only be a burden, they were instructed to wait outside and come in to report if the situation changed.

“I don’t think it’s a facility that needs such a large underground waterway.”

Lortel also tried his hand at the construction business and donated money to all kinds of buildings and facilities. The sense of investing in such infrastructure is also sharp.

Sylvania Academy is a large school that occupies half of the southern part of Aken Island, but it would not have been necessary to build an underground waterway this large. The ceiling height and width were wide enough to fit a single building, but it was too much.

In the first place, there is not much water flowing along the waterway. If you were to dip your feet in it, it would barely be enough to wet Lortel’s thin ankles.

“It seems as if it was made for another purpose.”

Lortel quickly discovered the suspicious part of the underground waterway. Although I didn’t know specifically what the purpose was.

When the descent was over and the entrance to the proper waterway was visible, Lortel took a deep breath.

– Squeak

– Coogung, boom.

The sound of shallow waves hitting the large waterway in the center of the passage.

And the sight of fragments of a demonic golem made of stone imprinted with magic strewn here and there in the waterway.

Anyone can see that it is a trace of battle.

No, it was more like a one-sided repulse rather than a battle.

If you go a little further and look at the central part of the waterway, you can see magic stones almost as big as a carriage rolling on the bottom of the waterway.

The stone still moved intermittently, as if it was trembling, as it still had some magical energy left, but it no longer seemed like it could reach a meaningful level of power.

The stones that were as big as Lortel’s upper body were probably fragments that made up a mid-level demonic golem, and the fragments that were as large as a carriage were the fragments that made up a high-level demonic golem.

If you want to deal with about 10 intermediate level demonic golems, you need to bring in at least students with good grades from the upper grades.

When it comes to high-level demonic golems, it is impossible to break through unless you are a professor or something.

There are not many people who can overcome them all at once. No matter how confident Lortel is in his magic skills, he cannot be defeated in one go, even if he can be dragged out and fought separately.

“…”

Lortel passed between the golem fragments and entered deeper into the waterway.

There was a girl lying unconscious at the end of the passage.

Lortel knows the personal information of the honor students in each grade. It wasn’t difficult to figure out who it was.

Tall for a woman, her hair tied back in a light bun and full of activity, and freckles on her cheeks like a charm.

Dorothy was the top student in the 3rd year pension department.

However, he was completely stunned.

Judging by the fact that his clothes were wet here and there, it seemed like he had been overpowered by someone and rescued him from the waterway.

And as soon as he saw the shawl he had covered himself with as a blanket in case he got cold because of his wet clothes… Lortel frowned.

The design of the shawl with cute cosmos embroidery along the outside is very cute.

Although it was cheap compared to the clothes Lortel was wearing, the shawl still had symbolism.

Hanger is as important as clothes.

Who is the girl who always wears this shawl? This is an elementalist whose name no one in Sylvania knows.

“We’re back at the entrance again! Ugh!”

A girl appeared from inside, crying even though no one was listening.

No, there was definitely someone listening. It’s just invisible to Lortel’s eyes.

“What did I say! Takan is right…! Oh, isn’t it? Who did you follow what they said this time? Umm… So… At the second intersection, go right, then left, then… left, left, left, left. “Left, left… wasn’t it…? Was it left, left, left, left, left…? My head hurts…”

And he was wriggling his fingers and complaining in the air.

“I’m sorry… I’m a guileless… It took me a few days just to memorize the way to the North Forest, but trying to figure out this maze-like place all at once is too much… And you, Melis, couldn’t memorize all the directions! That’s too much! “Don’t be angry…! I’m frustrated too…! You’re coming back here again… At what age did you end up like this…”

The reason I stopped talking there was because I made eye contact with Lortel.

“…”

“…”

Only the sound of water flowing was spreading beyond the dark underground waterway.

Her cutely braided light pink hair is full of dust. Unlike usual, she does not appear to be wearing a shawl.

Even the neatly dressed school uniform was full of wet and dusty marks here and there, indicating that it had been in a battle not long ago.

Judging by the size and shape of the traces, it appears that there was an additional battle inside the underground waterway.

“Oh my, oh my. Senior Yenika.”

The word “dog-wonji-ji” alone cannot fully explain the relationship between the two. It’s something even more squishy and nasty than that.

In any case, it is clear that both Yenica and Lortel are a thorn in the side of each other.

Lortel clearly saw Tarkan’s shape, which had been seen near the entrance to the underground waterway dozens of minutes ago. After hearing the news of Ed’s kidnapping, he was able to guess that Yenika must have come running in Handalum.

However, for Yenica, Lortel’s appearance was completely unexpected.

This is an important fact.

The story is that Lortel was one step faster in assessing the situation.

As for Yenica Palover, she is Sylvania’s ace who boasts the most spectacular military skills among the seniors in each grade.

If we had to force them to line up, she would be the girl who was almost at the front among the rest except for Lucy, who was overwhelmingly ahead on her own.

At this point, there is no need for Professor Glast’s researchers or anything.

I’ll just destroy the waterway all by myself and make a mess of it, and no matter what I do, Ed’s safety will be secured.

‘then…?’

Lortel is the type of person with a strong sense of self-objectification due to his cool-headed personality.

However, there is something that even Lortel is overlooking… His way of thinking regresses whenever he is particularly involved in relationships between men and women.

When will Lortel be able to realize that fact and recognize his shame… is a story in the distant future. In any case, the image lingering in Lortel’s mind right now is very one-dimensional.

Yenika wields all kinds of spirits to rescue Ed, who was captured.

I’m here to save Ed. No injuries. It was so hard. I was very worried. are you okay? Let’s go back together. I cooked a meal at camp.

Let’s warm up by drinking warm soup. I don’t have any strength in my body. It’s okay. Thank you for piggybacking me. Yenika. You are the best. It was so hard to be kidnapped out of the blue. There were a lot of scary parts and I needed help. Of course, you are the only one Yenika. I think you are the right partner for my life. Let’s get married Yenika. No, Ed. What do you mean by marriage? I really like it. Where will the ceremony be held? How many children will I have? Do you like your daughter? Do you like your son? Where should the newlyweds build their home? Can we do it well?

Don’t worry, Yenika, I’ll make sure you don’t get a drop of water on your hands. Come on, let’s go. The morning sun is rising. Let’s run towards that sun, which rises as brightly as our couple’s future. Hahahahahahaha no!

Although he has tried his hand at almost every business in the world, he is ridiculously vain when it comes to the dating business. Now that I’m a little more aware of myself… Lortel’s pupils drop again, without fail.

“Senior Yenika. Senior Ed was rescued…! It’s really, really upsetting, but it looks like he got hurt a lot while being kidnapped…! He’s lying in the hospital bed and just calling out Senior Yenika’s name! He’s in a coma, asking when he’ll come back. “I’m only looking for Senior Yenika! At the camp right now!”

Anyway, Lortel’s head was spinning.

Since there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that this is where Ed was kidnapped, it is necessary to expel Yenika from this underground tunnel.

“W-what?!”

Yenika was startled with a whimper. Then, clutching her staff tightly to her chest, she ran like a bullet.

After passing Lortel, I heard the sound of small feet tapping up the uphill path leading out to the underground waterway.

As Lortel heard the sound gradually receding, he quickly began to guess where in this underground tunnel Ed had been kidnapped.

But that time did not last long. The sound of footsteps gradually getting louder again, and Yenica’s face popped out once again from inside the curved road.

“But Lortel. Why are you telling me that?”

Lortel swallowed his breath.

“And as soon as Ed’s location was identified, I rushed over at a fast pace, and he was mostly just around the entrance. How was Ed rescued? Who rescued him? I was the first to arrive, so how did they rescue him without me noticing?”

Yenika’s face as she talks hesitantly is instantly captivating.

Lortel was not embarrassed. Rather, he spoke in a cool tone with a bright smile, as if a flower bud was blooming.

“Or not.”

“You’re really too much!”

Yenika got angry as she puffed out her cheeks to the limit and stomped on the floor.

On the one hand, he seemed like he was just throwing a tantrum as he was swinging his oak stick and stretching his arms in the air.

However, Lortel also had no intention of yielding.

Ed Rosstaylor always seems grumpy, but he always expresses gratitude for what he receives and leaves it as a debt of his heart.

The grace that saved me from a life-threatening crisis. At this level, Ed would definitely not take it lightly.

The first person to find and rescue Ed will be the one who will truly be able to show the blunt man his due grace. Buying a seal is a completely different kind of favor than giving it away.

It is not an opportunity granted to many people. There was only one person who arrived first. In the grueling world of racing, there is no glory granted to second place. It is a world where only the winners dominate.

“This is not the time! Lortel! But…”

Anyway, Yenika knows that fact well… but Ed’s life may come and go before that.

I tried to express the fact that this was not the time to fight, but…

“…Lortel came alone, right? He’s not cowardly trying to find Ed by mobilizing other employees of the company, right…?”

“….”

“No, I mean… it could be even more dangerous if non-combat employees of the trading company get involved for no reason! Yes!”

Yenika, who had difficulty adding a justifiable reason, began to express her fairness as well.

“At first, I asked Lucy to help me, but… Lucy didn’t even listen to what I said and just yawned and went for a walk… She doesn’t listen to others and just acts at her own pace… So, I was left alone. hey.”

“Aha… I see.”

Lortel smiled and stared at each other blankly for a while with Yenica.

Jenica’s cute and lively smile makes it seem as if warm dandelion seeds are blooming at any moment.

Lortel’s expression is so calm and charming that it doesn’t match his small physique, and his expression is so warm that it makes you feel at ease.

“Then I will search mainly on the east side of the waterway, Lortel.”

“Yes, then I will search the other side.”

Ed’s life may be in danger. Isn’t it too senseless to fight and keep each other in check in such a situation? No matter what, let’s keep the minimum courtesy.

Although they didn’t exchange much words, the two seemed to have found a compromise.

However, the moment the two separated and turned the corner, they both started sprinting down the waterway as if they had been waiting.

Since ancient times, the world of competition has been a merciless law.

*

-patter

The sound of dust falling.

Despite being deep underground, a ray of sunlight draws a diagonal line in the air of the underground library.

The girl stretched out her tiny body, cackling as usual… She shook her head a couple of times, adjusted her witch’s hat, and looked around.

Should I say it’s ignorant, or should I say it’s ridiculous?

In the face of strength that does not apply common sense, no matter how thick the surface is, it is easily cut into pieces like tofu.

It’s not even high-level magic. It is not magical power forged in any special way.

It’s just an overwhelming amount of magical power, that’s all. For this lazy girl, even such a basic magic refining process was just a hassle.

It is a rare monster born with an absurd level of magic sensitivity.

By pressing down with the amount of magic he was born with, he broke through the surface of the earth itself, and continued to release that magic towards the place where he could sense Ed.

Even the slightest effort to improve magic efficiency by refining magic power or controlling its flow is a bother to the girl.

A breakthrough that goes beyond ignorance and is so simple that it makes no sense. It’s no different from peeling an apple with a chainsaw.

At this point, it’s not magic or anything. It is simply violence using overwhelming physical force.

The ceiling of the Soul Library collapsed, filling the hall with scattered marble fragments.

Beneath the feet of lazy Lucy, Banshee Rayna, who had already lost her mind, was completely subdued and crushed.

“Ughhhhh–!”

I feel like yawning and stretching are stretched out as always.

At the top of the bookshelves piled up like miscellaneous items, the banshee Reina’s body was crushed, standing shakily and looking down at me with a sleepy face…

“hi.”

That’s how Lucy made a blank voice.

“I came to save you because I was bored.”

Suppressing the pounding headache, I rubbed my face several times.

ah….

please…