Chapter 113
The Day the Archmage Died (1)
Torch Manager Adele.
When Saint Clarice was in the city, there was a girl who came to her bedroom window every day and played the lute.
“Maybe we’ll start practicing joint combat… Maybe we’ll spar with second-year seniors…?”
Ofilis Hall last night. As Kylie sat on the bed and looked up at the window, Saint Clarice recalled a memory from when she was in the Holy Capital.
Adele’s song and her desire for freedom secretly made her harbor a new dream. If it weren’t for Adele’s influence, Clarice would never have come to Sylvania to study.
Therefore, even after Adele left the capital, Clarisse continued to look forward to the day when she would meet her again.
However, even though a long time has passed since I entered school, I have no chance to meet Adele.
“….”
At the center of Carpea, the sacred site of the Telos Church and the largest city-state on the continent, is a majestic, towering cathedral.
The cathedral, which is considered a sacred place among Telos believers spread across the entire continent, was called ‘Holy Emperor Capital’ because it was the place where the Holy Emperor Eldain lived and spread the will of God.
A cathedral so large and majestic that it occupies an entire large, towering hill. It is large enough to fit two or three castles of a decent lord together. Of course, the height is also that high.
When you climb up the towering clock tower in the center, you can see the Rameln Mountains to the north and the Denkin Wetlands leading to the Cloel Empire to the south.
At the top of the clock tower, a torch is burning to honor Telos, who has always given us.
The girl who sat there, tended the torch, and always looked out at the open world.
A girl who would have looked down on the world from a higher place than Clarisse, who boasted of nobility just behind the prosperous Eldain.
Clarice really wanted to meet that bard… Adele.
However, Clarisse is a first year student and Adele is a second year student.
It’s not that there were no opportunities to interact with second graders, but it was rare for Adele to appear in such situations.
In the first place, Adele was such a quick-thinking person that even among her classmates, there were few people who knew exactly where she was.
Since she couldn’t just storm into the classroom or dormitory where classes were being held, Clarice just said, ‘We’ll meet when the time comes.’ And I had no choice but to focus on my academic life.
However, even though he is slowly getting used to life as a bachelor, there is no sign of meeting her. At this point, Clarisse started to feel a little bit dirty.
Clarice herself thought that her relationship with Adele was quite special, but even after hearing the news that the saint had entered the school, did Adele not think of visiting her at least once?
I had that thought, but… I quickly shook my head.
Clarisse’s position right now is special. Instead of being the saintly Clarice, she lives a bachelor’s life as Kylie, a noblewoman from the outskirts. Adele won’t know much about this situation, so she’ll be a bit embarrassed. However, wouldn’t you have noticed that the person currently pretending to be a saint seems fake?
A bit of a mixed position. However, Clarisse decided not to make haste.
Destiny is like a drifting wind. If you are connected, you can meet again and exchange pleasantries anywhere in the world. This is what Adele said.
Clarisse also thought that was right and smiled as she looked up at the moon. Since we are in the same Sylvania and live in the same dormitory, we will definitely be able to meet if we meet.
I was earnestly praying that the kite would connect quickly and that I would be able to resolve the worries I had been feeling.
* * *
Lucy Mayril was sitting on the roof of the cabin with her sullen eyes half-raised and her knees folded.
When she sits there, she can see the entire camp at a glance, but Lucy doesn’t like what she sees right now.
The sight of all kinds of spirits transporting well-maintained wood and building huts… From Lucy’s point of view, it feels like an uninvited guest is invading the camp.
Actually, it’s not really Lucy’s camp. Therefore, there is no position to argue whether Lucy is an uninvited guest or not.
Still, I don’t feel very refreshed. He just makes a sullen face and is either puffing or grumbling and twisting his hair. For Lucy, who has little ability to express her emotions, this is quite a dramatic reaction.
The girl who was the cause… Yenica Palover was sitting on the bonfire in the center of the camp, stretching her legs.
The hut, which was originally planned to be completed in 5 days by overworking the spirits, was canceled when Yenika hit Tarkan between the eyes with a cane. The lower spirits, especially Mug, clapped with tears in their hearts.
The cabin construction plan, which was being implemented as originally planned, was progressing well.
Jenika was so proud to see that a decent amount of ground had already been established on the third day that she sat in the camp all day humming a song.
Lucy, who was sitting on the roof of Ed’s cabin, was not at all comfortable looking at that scene. In fact, even if it wasn’t Lucy, I would probably tilt my head when I saw Yenika.
He sits on a tree stump near the campfire, stretches out his arms and legs, takes a quick look at the camp view, looks up at the cabin site, and smiles. The smile is so innocent that it seems like a bright flower is blooming.
After that, he seemed to be reading a book, but in between, he looked at the cabin site again, smiled, and seemed to be going to get some firewood. He then looked around the cabin, then walked back at a brisk pace, smiling again. I thought I was going to do some spirit sensitivity training on my own, but then I looked at the hut site and got lost in thought.
Watching that scene made Lucy so angry that she forgot to take a nap and was just sitting there with her cheeks puffed out.
“….”
After about 5 minutes, Lucy got up and flew near the bonfire, intending to grab some beef jerky that had been dried on the drying rack and eat it.
-widely!
Lucy landed beautifully on the rock next to the campfire, shook off her clothes a few times, and stood upright.
If you look down, you will see Yenika sitting on a tree stump, folding the corner of a book and fantasizing about her rosy imagination. It was a truly meaningless expression.
“Ah…”
Yenica and Lucy made eye contact.
Innocent Yenika almost greeted him warmly for a moment. However, I intuitively realized that this was not a worthy opponent.
This is an opponent with whom we have already had a battle of nerves once at the Ofilis Hall. However, this is not a very pleasant opponent for Yenika, who hates getting into an argument with someone.
I didn’t want to be rude or say anything unpleasant, but I couldn’t bear it.
In the end, Jenica glanced back towards the hut while sitting down, then placed her hands on both waists and puffed out her chest as if showing off. The smile on his face shows that he is trying to appear arrogant.
With a smile radiating bright light, Lucy opened her half-moon eyes and quietly shook off her clothes. It was amazing that such a flawless and bright smile could be so sad.
* * *
I left the student library with a couple of beef jerky in my mouth and a load of books on elemental science.
Thanks to the fact that I rented books and returned them regularly without being overdue, I was now able to borrow quite a few books at once. Because I knew the librarian, Elka Islan, there were some parts that I turned a blind eye to.
“Whoa…”
I went down the hill from the student library carrying a lot of books and went straight toward the eastern plaza of the faculty building.
The reason I went to such extreme lengths to borrow only elemental science books was to complete my mid-level magic training.
It wasn’t long before I successfully learned the mid-level magic ‘One Point Explosion’, but it was a bit odd that it was the only mid-level magic I knew how to use properly.
The firepower of one-point explosion itself is not much different from low-level magic. The only important thing is that it is easy to activate, easy to raid, and difficult for the opponent to deal with.
This strategic advantage is a great help in my fighting style, but I think it is also necessary to learn magic that has excellent firepower itself. In a combat situation, you don’t know when and how things will unfold, so in a way, it’s natural.
I have strong sensitivity to the elements of fire and wind. So, I was thinking of learning mid-level wind magic if possible, but I soon changed my mind.
Most of the wind elemental magic was for controlling the battlefield or assisting in combat, and there were relatively few magics that purely had strong fire power.
From my perspective, as someone who knows how to use magical engineering supplies and elemental magic, I was able to somehow prepare the means to create such variables in another way. In order to become dramatically stronger right now, the most efficient way is to train your absolute firepower.
So, I borrowed a bunch of books on elemental science to explore the magic that would be my next goal.
There was so much of it that I had to hold it in my arms and walk. Thinking that this was also physical training, I walked across the eastern square.
Starting from the central plaza where the Student Center and the Obel Hall are located, if you walk along the road extending east, you will reach this eastern plaza.
It is relatively small compared to the central square. Still, it had everything a plaza could have: a decent-sized clock tower in the middle, benches here and there, and a pretty fountain.
“♪ ♬ ♪”
When I saw the girl sitting on one side of the fountain and playing the lute, I realized the identity of that familiar face.
In some ways, it was the impression that best fit the expression ‘free’ more than anyone else.
The class is in full swing, but she is wearing comfortable-looking clothes, as if all the classes she signed up for have been completed.
It’s exactly the same as I know, with a loose pleated skirt that goes past the thighs and a blouse with loose sleeves. A flower bouquet-shaped accessory tied to her waist was running down her side.
Her hair, neatly braided on one side, is embroidered with a variety of beautiful flowers, from lilies, daffodils, gypsophila, and freesia. Perhaps thanks to the light yellow hair, which is not a strong color, the beautiful shape is more evident.
“You’re busy today too, Senior Ed.”
As I was about to pass by, Adele suddenly spoke to me. This was another unexpected situation, so I tilted my head.
Adele, who was playing the lute, made eye contact with me and smiled. Maybe they were close enough to pretend that they knew each other, but that wasn’t really the case.
Adele Seris is a colleague of Tayley McLaure, the main character of “Sylvania’s Failed Sword Saint.”
As a bard who freely uses all kinds of strengthening magic, she appears consistently from the first act and makes her face known… but does not come to the forefront until the final battle of the third act.
Most of the things that showed their faces consistently in the first place appeared like licorice in a pharmacy. He is shown properly participating in the battle in the final battle of Act 2, but he does not show any intention of doing anything after that.
Until then, Adele had mostly appeared playing instruments in strange places, and I thought that this was probably a production part to emphasize her free-spirited and aloof attitude to the world.
A girl who plays an instrument without losing her composure, no matter how urgent the situation.
The reason she can be so peaceful is because of her ‘prophetic temperament.’
“….”
Sometimes Adele receives the divine power of Telos and sees the future. It is not a power that can be manipulated freely, but after suddenly receiving a revelation, it recites the future as if possessed.
This is possible because the sensitivity to the sacred power of Telos is uniquely heightened from birth. Therefore, she was treated well among saints and was even listed as a candidate for sainthood during her childhood.
“Me…?”
“I’ve often heard Taily and Ayla talk. It seems like they have somewhat complicated thoughts about their senior…” ”
Yeah… it’s none of my business…”
The protagonist of the scenario It looks like Tailly is on a roll so far.
His swordsmanship talent is so great that when he reaches Act 4, he will boast an almost overwhelming level of strength. The scenario is already halfway through the third act, so it may be starting to stand out at this point.
Well, since we are in different grades and have been subtly separated from each other’s events, we don’t have much of a connection… but I know full well that Tailly’s growth won’t slow down easily.
If you continue to grow at peak efficiency without wasting a single inch, you will be able to defeat not only Wade but also Ziggs in the next joint combat practice event. Of course, this is only when you are a fully skilled player.
Normally, it would be quite difficult just to catch Wade, so you wouldn’t be able to worry about that.
“Would you like to hear a song? I am, in my own way, a bard who has traveled all over the continent. I am currently based here in Sylvania.”
“…done.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
I’ve barely met Adele in person, but I don’t know why she treats me so warmly. I wonder if it’s because of my reputation as a bachelor, which has improved rapidly recently, or it may just be because stories about me are circulating among people around Adele.
I revamped my books on elemental science. Carrying so many heavy books was an unspoken signal that I had to deal with them quickly. Adele smiled regretfully and bowed her head coolly.
I just turned around and headed towards the northern forest.
The scenario is also past the middle of the third act. The political situation, which had been gradually faltering, had already begun to deviate significantly with Tanya’s election as president.
The scenario, which had flowed in a similar manner up to the first act, took a big turn in the second act, and by the third act, it was no longer possible to determine its direction.
Still, the major trends are still flowing as I know, so the future knowledge I hold is still sufficiently useful. However, there is a high possibility that a misaligned flow will soon lead to unknown results.
It is like a straight line drawn along a dotted line.
If you follow the dotted line without shaking an inch, you will draw a pretty straight line, but if you shake even slightly, the angle will be distorted. At first, the slight difference may not seem like a big deal, but the further the straight line goes, the more distant it becomes from the dotted line.
To begin with, I had no great ambitions and my only goal was to get a diploma. I just wanted to survive. However, it is arrogance to think that everything will go as planned.
In the end, if the flow of the world is like this, just staying still and breathing won’t solve the problem.
The affair began to go astray.
In the end, if I wanted to fix it… I had to catch the crepin.
However, in his current state, Crepin has no weaknesses and is powerful politically, and he has many followers who sincerely support him throughout the empire, so killing or suppressing him will only make him a high traitor to the world and ruin his life.
It still takes some more time to grow up to the point where you can confront Crepin in the first place, and even if you confront him with someone’s help, you can’t kill him without a cause.
But it doesn’t mean I don’t have a card. There is Tanya, an insider of the Rosstaylor family, and Princess Fenia, who stands in an antagonistic position with him.
As Act 4 approaches and Mebula’s appearance gets closer, Crepin will definitely show his tail. At the same time, the guy shows obvious loopholes.
You must carefully estimate the timing to hit your opponent’s neck. I had to be ready when the evil plan began to surface.
“Senior Ed.”
Suddenly, as I was about to leave, Adele called me and stopped me.
I looked back with a puzzled look on my face, but Adele wasn’t even looking at me and was just playing the lute with a lively look.
The pleasant tones of the strings harmonized with the sound of water from the fountain and resonated in the square in late spring.
“One day, when you ascend to the throne of the head of the family, you will have to kill the person you respected the most with your own hands.”
It was just a hint, without any foreshadowing.
“Keep in mind that if you hesitate at that time, you will die.”
“….”
I thought about asking more, but it didn’t mean much. At first, Adele took one last look at the lute and made a beautiful sound, then stood up and quickly walked away into the distance.
I was quietly watching Adele walking away, carrying a bunch of books on elemental science.
And then he sighed.
Adele, the torch keeper. Romantic Adele. and the prophet Adele.
Her prophecies don’t always come true, so it’s hard to give them any meaning… but in any case, she had a knack for making people’s minds turmoil.
There are many scenes that come to mind when I think of Adele, but the first thing that comes to mind is… her death.
Act 3 of “Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman” is an important turning point in the scenario. If Lucy, the final boss, stays still, she will complete her role safely and leave temporarily, but in the course of the scenario, two people from the main character’s generation die unrelated to Lucy.
One of them is the bard Adele.
The macroscopic trend is still flowing in a similar way to political affairs, but major twists have already occurred in many ways.
Knowing what she said, what stance should I take now?
Professor Glast’s death was out of my control from the beginning. No matter what I did, he would have hijacked the Seongseo and taken over the academic building, and I, as a mere student, was not someone I could influence in the first place.
Just because it’s Adele doesn’t guarantee that I’ll be able to do anything, but anyway, as someone who knows her not-so-pleasant words… I can’t help but feel sad in many ways.
I glanced around my head a few times, then headed toward the northern forest with the book in my arms.
First, I had to go back to camp, finish organizing my books, and prepare to make a walking stick… but I had to finish the task at hand first.
Still, there were so many thoughts that needed to be sorted out.
* * *
“no.”
It was a firm and clear answer.
Lucy, who was munching on beef jerky and playing with her knees by the campfire, looked very uncomfortable.
“….”
This was an unexpected reaction.
I cut two branches from Merilda’s guardian tree and asked Lucy to implement lightning magic to make a wand.
The lightning realized with Lucy’s magic power is enormous, so it will have a significant positive effect on the direct performance of the wand.
I told him that I was going to make two walking sticks, one for Yenica and one for mine, out of two thousand-year-old trees that had been struck by lightning.
Actually, it wasn’t a very difficult request for Lucy, and she was pretty good at listening to my requests in the first place, so I thought there wouldn’t be any problem… but today, Lucy felt a bit crooked.
“Can you do just one thing?”
It’s very refreshing to see him holding my knee and grunting with his lips sticking out. Wasn’t Lucy always in a sleepy or grumpy state?
Although he still seemed somewhat dazed and listless, it was my first time seeing him puff out his cheeks. Lately, I’m having a hard time getting used to the fact that my facial expressions seem a bit more colorful. Yes, there are only a few patterns.
“Wouldn’t it be better to do one or two? You only have to use magic once anyway.”
“….”
“Ugh, okay… Well, if you’re like that, there must be a reason. It’s a pain in the ass.”
As I said that and flicked my head, Lucy waved the tips of her legs in the air, wondering what was bothering her so much.
“If I make one… who will use it…?”
“I’ll give it to you, Jenica. I’m sure it’s someone who can use it better. I still need to practice elemental magic more.”
“Profit…”
Lucy seemed to be very uncomfortable with my disappointment, so she muttered her mouth and lowered her head, making a groaning sound.
Then, with his lips pursed, he quickly stands up and walks briskly towards the tree stump where I am sitting.
I stayed still, wondering if she was clinging to me like usual, but Lucy lowered her gaze and sat down with her bottom on my lap, her hat pulled down.
He buried his back in my arms, but it was so light that I didn’t feel much weight. It’s slightly heavier than the pile of books I was carrying with just my arm muscles.
“Okay, I’ll give you both.”
And then he adds something.
“Instead, there is a condition. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“condition?”
“There’s a place I want you to go with.”
It was such a weird thing for Lucy to say something like this, so I couldn’t help but nod my head in confusion.