Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Bomb

Nothing special happened after that.

“Zeto... hello...”

Yuri, whom I met in the classroom, looked obviously tired.

“...”

Beside her, I could also see Eisel staring steadily at me.

Even after that incident, everything flowed as usual, as if nothing had happened.

Yuri’s hair was neatly braided as always, and Eisel wore the same sullen expression as ever.

Yuri, who sat beside me, bent forward to look at Eisel and opened her mouth.

“Eisel, do you want to go to a cafe together after class?”

“...Fine.”

Unable to withstand Yuri’s bright smile, Eisel soon answered in a small voice.

If there was anything different, it was that Eisel and Yuri seemed to have grown a little closer.

Had they perhaps had an intimate conversation at Priscilla’s house last night?

Priscilla, Eisel, and Yuri.

There would have been only women, so perhaps ordinary women’s chatter had gone on.

Well, to me, it was hard to imagine Priscilla or Eisel having such chatter.

Sitting between Eisel and Yuri, I organized my plans as I waited for Edward.

Three seconds.

That was how long I could use Chapter Two without vomiting blood and losing consciousness.

Training my stamina and making my body stronger would be good, but I lacked time.

If I wanted to make a body that could endure Chapter Two for a long time within a short period, I judged that an “elixir” was essential.

“The problem is where to get one...”

Soon, the first-years would go on a field trip to the North.

“Could I obtain an elixir there too?”

I still had some money on hand, so buying an elixir with that money was not a bad choice.

If one could eat elixirs, it was best to eat as many as possible.

There were occasionally elixirs with side effects, but as long as I had information and knowledge, there should not be a major problem.

—Clap!

Edward, who had arrived in the classroom before I knew it, clapped once and drew the attention of the students, who had been chatting.

Soon, the students’ gazes gathered on Edward, and his mouth opened.

“Everyone, I have brought good news.”

At Edward’s words, the corners of his mouth raised high, the students grew curious.

Yuri’s eyes beside me were sparkling too.

Eisel and I knew perfectly well what he would say, so we had little reaction.

“Our first-year students will be going on a field trip! Now, applause!”

At Edward’s following words, the students first clapped.

—Clap, clap, clap, clap.

The students’ reactions followed as they clapped while talking with their friends.

“But isn’t where we’re going the important part?”

“I heard this from a senior, but the seniors were suddenly dragged into a martial arts tournament as a group.”

“Ah, I heard about that. They even made the mages compete without exception, right?”

When one student listening heard that mages had been entered into a martial arts tournament, they burst out laughing.

The place for the field trip seemed to differ each time, since it was decided according to the opinions of the instructors or headmaster.

“The field trip location has been decided as... Fort Polrwin in the North! Exciting, right?”

Edward stopped speaking and paused for a moment, then soon told the students the location.

Edward tried to raise the tension while flapping his arms about, but at the word “fort,” the students’ energy rapidly withered.

Humanity and the demons were currently in a ceasefire.

Fort Polrwin, located a little below the lands of the demons.

To put it simply, we were going on a field trip to a military base.

“So it would be best to prepare spare warm clothes in advance. The cold of the North is fierce.”

Edward said this while raising his index finger.

One student, who had been quietly listening to Edward’s explanation, raised their hand.

Edward responded and pointed to that student, asking.

“Yes? Please ask.”

“The distance to the North should be far, so we won’t be traveling by carriage, right...?”

“What a foolish question. No matter what, this is Innocence Academy. We do not use ordinary carriages.”

“Then?”

“Have you heard of... an airship?”

The moment the word “airship” came from Edward’s mouth, the students began recovering their spirits.

Edward made a face as if he had been the one to create the airship, then cleared his throat and began continuing.

“Ahem, we plan to travel by airship. With an airship, even the North will be quick, yes?”

Looking at the students’ reactions, it seemed they had decided the airship was the main part rather than the fort.

Airships in this fantasy world had quite a fascinating appearance.

If one had to define it, they looked like ships—that is, boats.

It was a rare means of transportation even across the entire continent, but the academy owned an entire airship.

Perhaps this was a part that revealed the dignity of the Graham family, who held the chairman position.

Perhaps because they were greatly looking forward to the airship, the students set Edward aside and began chatting with their own friends.

“An airship... I always wanted to ride one someday.”

Yuri was excited too.

Yuri’s eyes had grown round as she stared into empty air, as if there were an airship there.

“If I have to say it, this will be my first time too...”

Why was I not excited?

It was not because I had already experienced things like airplanes or subways, which could be called modern civilization.

Still, since this was fantasy, it would surely have more romance than that.

Even so, I was not excited.

Because...

[ An airship... It seems I shall need to hold onto my disciple... ]

...I had Sierra.

It seemed Sierra would hang from my back the entire time I was on the airship.

“What is the point of the ultra-luxury cabin...”

There was no helping it.

Could this be considered a penalty that came with being able to converse with Sierra?

If necessary, I might have to ask her to enter the cursed blade for a while.

“Before that... there is even better news. Before we leave on the field trip, I thought we might conduct a special class.”

Edward, who had been waiting for the students to quiet down, judged that they had fallen silent and said this.

“A special class?”

My eyes flashed at Edward’s words.

Of course, the flash in my eyes would not be visible to others.

If it was a special class, there was a high chance the reward would be special too.

“I thought we might hold a small-scale mock battle. Since this is a class for our class’s students, I paid special attention to the illusion magic.”

A small-scale mock battle.

I remembered experiencing it in the game too.

To put it simply, it was a team deathmatch.

I remembered it being infamous content among users.

So-called luck played a huge role.

As usually happened in games, there were many players who ignored their team and rushed in alone without thinking.

When I first played the game, I was one of them too.

But fighting multiple opponents alone was not easy.

Moreover, the player was usually in Class A. That meant the overall level was high.

When a player experienced being beaten up by multiple enemies for the first time while playing the game... only then did they begin realizing something had gone wrong.

The small-scale mock battle had to be approached strategically by coordinating with one’s teammates.

On top of that, good coordination was not everything.

The abilities of individual team members mattered too.

So if one’s team members were chosen well, taking first place was easier.

Because of that, countless players repeated saving and loading until good team members were chosen in order to take first place.

Well, I was the type who enjoyed twisting my body to take first place even when my luck was poor.

Why obsess over rank?

The small-scale mock battle always had rewards.

They were often items greatly helpful to players.

Right then, Edward was opening his mouth with an insidious smile.

“To encourage all students to participate actively in this mock battle, there will be rewards! Four people per team, so there will be a total of four teams, yes? Unfortunately, fourth place receives no reward. Third place is the same.”

There were not many students who expected much from the reward.

Even if it was Innocence Academy, what could they give as a class reward? Such words passed among the students.

“...Then, I will start with first place. The glorious team that takes first place will be given the chance to choose one weapon from the academy armory.”

At Edward’s shocking following words, most of the students’ eyes grew round.

The academy armory was not simply a storage room filled with weapons.

Innocence Academy had a tradition that had continued for hundreds of years.

There were many times when graduates died and donated their weapons, and at times, absurd weapons were found in the Labyrinth.

All sorts of mysterious weapons slept inside the armory.

“He must have somehow persuaded Juliut well...”

Even in the game, it was a reward so good that one did not see it easily.

However, it did not tempt me much.

I had “Sierra.”

To use Demon Swordsmanship, a cursed blade was essential.

Even if not for Demon Swordsmanship, “Sierra” rivaled the level of most famous blades.

After all, it was a sword made by the gold dragon “Daidros” after opening his own storehouse.

Unlike me, however, the other students’ eyes were burning.

“At the very least, I see no one who will not work hard.”

At least Eisel looked sullen for the same reason as me.

Mages could equip various types of weapons, starting with staffs and even things like wrist guards, as long as they helped with magic. Judging by Eisel’s expression now, it seemed she had already obtained her own exclusive weapon.

“Was it both a staff and a spear?”

I remembered that she usually did not take it out, but when important battles happened, she would bring it out.

The stylishly designed golden spear had the form of a small rod when not in use, and when unfolded, it clicked open and transformed into a spear.

It was so cool that there had been quite a few users asking whether they could use Eisel’s weapon.

This was where the reason it was called an exclusive weapon appeared: unless one was Eisel, it could be considered impossible to obtain.

“Of course, second place also has a reward. It is a small reward compared to the armory, but... When I went traveling this time, they were selling ‘mandragora’ at the auction house.”

While Edward continued explaining, he took a mandragora from his clothes and showed it to the students.

Mandragora.

A root plant shaped like a human.

It was widely known that the scream heard when pulling out a mandragora would make a person deaf.

This mandragora, which was difficult to grow and difficult to harvest, was a proper “elixir” that raised maximum stamina and mana.

However, it did not increase those values by very much.

It was a little lower in grade than other famous elixirs.

Still, that was something.

No matter what, it was still an elixir, so it was expensive all the same.

If anything, I was worried about Edward’s wallet, since he had bought four mandragoras with his own money.

[ You do not want to eat that, do you, Disciple...? I have already tasted it, and that is not something humans should eat. ]

Sierra looked back and forth between the mandragora Edward held and me, her face filled with bewilderment.

...That was right. Mandragora was famous for tasting awful.

Even so, I could not not eat it.

A reason to take second place instead of first appeared.

Edward wrapped the mandragora in cloth again and tucked it into his clothes. Then he said the teams had already been arranged by him to be balanced, and suddenly unfolded four tents in the middle of the classroom.

“When fighting together with companions, you should make a plan first. These tents are strategy rooms. When your name is called, enter the tent of the corresponding team.”

...After quite a long time, Edward’s class reward was good.

Moreover, I had no intention of giving up on the mandragora.

Now the teams only needed to be formed well.

***

I was in Team 2.

After receiving Edward’s guidance, I was the first to enter Team 2’s tent.

According to him, I was the leader of Team 2.

The inside of the tent was wider than I expected.

Perhaps some soundproofing magic had been applied separately, because I could not hear Edward calling the other students outside the tent.

As befitting a strategy room, there was a table with a map placed on it, as well as various chess-piece-like objects.

It was exactly the same layout as in the game.

Thanks to that, old memories were coming back one after another.

For the sake of strategy, the map included information such as where each team would spawn and how the terrain was structured.

But I had bandages around my eyes... so it seemed I would have to leave making the strategy to the other team members.

It would be one thing if I were commanding in the middle of battle.

Looking at a map and making a strategy seemed difficult.

“I wonder what the team members will be like.”

Edward said he had personally made the teams balanced, so Eisel and Yuri were naturally excluded.

“Other than those two, I do not really have anyone I am especially connected to.”

Because I had focused on my own growth, it was still difficult to pay attention to others.

As I was thinking that.

Suddenly, the leg of some unknown person pushed into the tent.

—Thud.

The footsteps stepping into the tent were heavy.

“...Should I say I have a connection with him too, if anything?”

The Caligus family of earth magic, one of the continent’s four elemental families.

The son of Maxim Caligus, the current head of the Caligus family.

It was Amon Caligus.

“...”

Without saying much, Amon entered the strategy room and sat heavily in a chair.

Soon, spreading his legs wide, he crossed his arms and began silently staring at me.

[ This is the Caligus brat we saw in the Labyrinth before. Is he not fairly strong? This worked out well. ]

Sierra, who glanced at Amon and narrowed her eyes, said that.

Certainly, Amon was not weak.

However, the Amon I had experienced in the small-scale mock battle in the game had not left good memories.

It was passive for him to disobey the player’s commands constantly and act however he pleased, and he would keep saying things that lowered the morale of the team members.

Because of this, Amon in the small-scale mock battle was treated as a bomb by users.

Whenever Amon showed his face, many users would save and load for reasons such as, “He does not listen,” or “He is a man.”

Interestingly, if one fought the small-scale mock battle after he entered his reformation route, the evaluation was different.

After his reformation, Amon was evaluated well as a reliable, hearty tank.

But I had not even taken Amon’s reformation route, let alone spoken much with him.

Nor could I save and load like in the game.

“Right, if it is Amon, maybe it is not terribly bad.”

For now, there was no denying that he was strong.

If I coaxed him properly, could he not become a reliable tank?

I turned my head toward Amon, who was glaring at me, and opened my mouth.

“It has been quite some time since we had a conversation like this after the Labyrinth, hasn’t it?”

“...I do not want to talk about that.”

“...”

With Amon’s firm answer, the conversation with him ended.

“As expected, he will not follow easily...”

The conversation with Amon suddenly cut off, and an icy, uncomfortable atmosphere continued inside the strategy room.

—Slide.

Breaking the silence that felt long was the appearance of the next team member.

The girl who carefully entered the strategy room had her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

“Um... I-I-I look forward to working with you...!”

She immediately bowed out of nowhere.

She had not even looked at me and Amon.

Amon, watching this, let out a sigh.

“Haa...”

“Uuh... Mr. Amon...?”

Amon and the girl knew each other.

They had no choice but to know each other.

The name of this woman trembling with pale-blue hair was Lucia Windless.

She was a member of one of the four elemental families, like Amon and Yuri.

The Windless family of wind magic.

The Caligus family of earth magic.

Two of the four elemental families had gathered.

Even so, I had no choice but to barely hold back a sigh.

Lucia did not have a good position even within the Windless family.

The reason was...

“Of all people, that bitch...”

“Mr. Amon... P-please do not get... so angry... huu...”

When Amon snapped, Lucia said this quietly in a trembling voice.

The eyes of Lucia as she spoke were brimming with tears.

...She was far too much of a coward.

Her talent for magic itself was exceptional, but because she was so timid, she could not properly display that talent.

Because of that, Lucia was treated rather poorly even within her family.

Lucia in the game would do all sorts of things, such as suddenly being afflicted by the status abnormality “fear” upon discovering an enemy, or panicking and attacking allies.

Because of this, users treated her as an even worse bomb than Amon, aside from the fact that she was a woman.

Following Amon, she was the second bomb.

“I may have to aim for second place alone...”

Eisel likely would not be serious in this mock battle, so considering the power of Rebellion Against Heaven, doing it alone would not be impossible.

But with two blatant bombs gathered like this, a strange stubbornness rose in me.

It was an emotion I had felt after quite a long time, something I could only feel when playing a game.

I wanted to somehow make the bombs before my eyes fulfill their roles.

“Now, let us not be too cold. From now on, we are companions who must fight together, are we not?”

Standing between Amon and Lucia, I spoke in a gentle tone.

“Hey, give up on the armory. There’s no answer with someone like that.”

Amon said this to me while glaring at Lucia.

At Amon’s words, Lucia looked as if she might cry.

But I did not back down from Amon’s grumbling.

“No, we can do this.”

“...You must have lost your mind. You must be saying that because you don’t know who Lucia Windless is. That girl is the sort who will cast magic at an ally while standing still.”

At my answer, Amon snorted and said that.

He was not wrong.

I knew because I had experienced it in the game.

If Amon was a water bomb, then Lucia was a real bomb.

“...”

Even so, I simply stared quietly at Amon.

Silence continued between me and Amon.

The final team member, who had entered at some point, was looking back and forth between me and Amon along with Lucia, trying to grasp what was happening.

Soon, unable to endure the silence, Amon opened his mouth.

“You... are seriously trying to take first place?”

“...Yes.”

At my immediate firm answer, Amon clicked his tongue.

But life began to return to the eyes of Amon, who had clicked his tongue.

Naturally, Amon wanted to go to the armory too.

He probably wanted to obtain a good weapon there.

“Fine. I hate to admit it, but... if it is you and me, we might become the strongest pair...”

Amon turned his head away from me and suddenly began spouting nonsense.

“To hell with it, let’s try. The armory... let’s go! We have Zeto and me, Amon Caligus!”

At last, Amon rose from his seat and lifted his fist upward, shouting in a thick voice.

At Amon’s sudden action, the unknown student who was the final team member quickly read the room and shouted, “Let’s go!”

“Y-yes... Let’s go...!”

Watching this, Lucia also squeezed her eyes shut, raised her arm, and shouted.

It was going according to plan.

Perhaps it had become a little more... excessive than calculated.

Though I said this, I had no intention of going to the armory, nor of taking first place.

All of this was acting to draw out Amon’s active participation.

For smooth progress, Amon needed to follow my commands well.

“Leave the team that will take first place alive, then die convincingly and aim for second place.”