Chapter 517
Shahed Kingdom. Lake Milawi.
“Whoa, it’s huge!”
Through the teleportation magic circle, Jane, Simon, and the group arrived in the Shahed Kingdom, where a vast lake unfolded before them.
It was so large it could almost be mistaken for the sea. You could even see a horizon, and like the real ocean, there were waves and currents. The waters surged forward with a swaaaash, sweeping over the lakebed before rolling back.
All around the lake stretched endless forest, dotted with smaller lakes here and there. Elderly men who had set down their buckets and were leisurely fishing lifted their hands in friendly waves when the students passed by.
‘This is… oddly healing.’
Simon smiled as he took in the broad waters and the fresh breeze. It felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest.
“Everyone.”
Jane stretched out her hand, calling to Simon and the transfer students.
“There lies the third necromancer school—Moyran.”
‘Ah!’
Amazingly, the school’s grounds were located right in the middle of the lake.
That was the grand floating city Moyran, pride of both the Shahed Kingdom and Moyran itself.
The floating city was connected to the mainland by a long white bridge, so long one couldn’t imagine how they had even conceived of building it. Most of those crossing the bridge were using carriages.
“What a beautiful place.”
Simon muttered in awe. At once, Benz, tightly bound by his inferiority complex, jumped in.
“Bah, Simon! What’s so great about a place that’s nothing but water? The Aland campus, with its forests and nature, is way better!”
Sierra’s Jetz wasn’t about to lose, either.
“That’s only because you haven’t seen the view from Sierra campus, 3,000 meters above sea level! You should’ve seen the sunrise there.”
Simon gave a wry smile and turned back to them.
“You’re all Keyzen students now. Stop competing over such nonsense.”
“Still, our roots are Aland!"
As the students grew noisy again, Jane lowered her long lashes and tapped her palm with her fist. Instantly, they fell silent and straightened their posture.
“Since crossing the bridge would take too long, we’ll be using boats.”
She led the students toward the docks.
As they walked, Simon moved alongside Jane.
“Um, professor?”
“Yes?”
“When will I meet the other two who’ll be fighting with me?”
Truthfully, he was nervous.
Knowing Jane’s personality, Simon guessed that since he was a second-year Student Council President, the others chosen would also be second-years. Normally she might have summoned Top 10 students, but since this was mission evaluation season, their pool of available members was severely limited. Even students ranked around 200 were being treated as precious reinforcements.
“That’s a needless question.”
“I-Is it?”
Jane pointed ahead with her impassive face. Simon turned his head.
Two female students in Keyzen uniforms stood near a boat. Noticing the armbands on their shoulders, Simon’s face brightened into an irrepressible smile.
“Simon!”
The girls, spotting him, waved energetically. Simon dashed forward in excitement.
“Maelyn! Kami! Don’t tell me you two are…!”
“That’s right~”
The vice president, ranked 8th overall, Maelyn Villene, stood gracefully, brushing back her light-blue hair.
“Hmph. I pushed myself to come here despite being exhausted, so you’d better be grateful.”
“We had just finished our mission evaluations in the Shahed Kingdom, and when Professor Jane asked us, we came over right away!”
The student council secretary, ranked 95th, Kamibarez Ursula, bounced forward with her hands clasped to her chest.
Jane stepped up beside Simon.
“I called in fellow student council members. Do you approve of your support?”
“They’re perfect!”
Simon answered immediately.
“This transfer evaluation match in Moyran is best-of-three. If we win two rounds, Keyzen is victorious.”
Jane spread out her hand.
“So there’s no need to feel too pressured. Either way, we only need two wins.”
If she wanted guaranteed victory, Jane would have summoned third-years. But to her, on such a grand stage, nurturing promising students’ growth and experience was more valuable.
Maelyn thrust her arm up.
“Of course we’ll win all three games!”
“Woo-hoo!”
Kamibarez cheered, and Simon clapped along. Seeing their enthusiasm, Jane nodded in approval.
“Good mindset. Now, let us proceed to Moyran.”
* * *
There were ten people total, split into two boats with five each.
Simon, Maelyn, Kamibarez, Jane, and some Aland and Sierra transfers boarded the first. But when Benz picked a fight with Sierra’s Jetz again, Jane switched things around.
“I’ll supervise here. You two, move over.”
So Benz and Jetz ended up in Simon’s group.
The boat set off.
At first Simon thought it was just a normal ferry, but in truth, it had a mana-motor installed. Without a driver, the vessel automatically followed a magic circle route to the destination.
As they glided across the water, Simon introduced his companions.
“And this is our student council secretary, Kamibarez.”
“H-Hello!”
Kamibarez bowed her head politely, smiling shyly.
‘So cute…!’
Benz’s cheeks burned red.
Suddenly he heard soft harp music, and his world turned rosy-pink.
“Simon, Simon! Look! A swan!”
“Yeah. It’s not even scared of us being close.”
From then on, Benz’s eyes were locked on Kamibarez. Jetz, grinning slyly, kicked his foot.
“Wake up, Aland.”
“What?”
When Benz glared, Jetz whistled and turned his head.
“Look over there! Dolphins!”
This lake was home to over 1,700 species, an ecological treasure.
Swans, ducks, and waterfowl swam at the shore. Seals basked on rocks. Further out, pink dolphins leapt through the water. Everywhere you looked, life abounded.
According to Maelyn, Moyran spent astronomical time and money maintaining the lake so that no monsters inhabited it.
Because of that symbolic achievement, Lake Milawi was hailed as the Shahed Kingdom’s premier resort spot. There was no danger of attack while traveling the waters by boat.
“—Or so they claim, but there’s no way it’s completely free of monsters.”
Maelyn shrugged.
“With a Necromancer School nearby, rumor has it there are areas crawling with high-risk monsters, even Leviathans.”
“T-That’s a bit scary.”
Kamibarez anxiously glanced around. Something large seemed to stir in the green depths below.
Simon and Maelyn laughed.
“Too bad Dick isn’t here.”
Simon said, scratching his head.
Maelyn laughed dismissively.
“That commoner? I heard he ran off to the Neutral Zone. Every mission season he just chases money. I don’t care about that greedy treasurer.”
“Oh, we’ve arrived!”
The boat stopped neatly at the school’s pier. Simon jumped up first, courteously helping the girls disembark.
Benz tried to look cool by leaping on his own, but slipped and splashed into the lake, soaking his trousers.
Everyone burst into laughter.
“What’s with Aland today?”
Jetz snickered as he took Simon’s hand to climb up. Benz, face blazing red, clambered onto the pier, dripping wet.
“Are you all right?”
Kamibarez stepped up, offering him a fluffy white towel.
“I borrowed it from the dock staff.”
“Ah… uh!”
Once more, harp music played in Benz’s ears and the world turned pink.
Even though he had embarrassed himself, he snatched the towel and swept back his bangs.
“Th-Thanks! Kami… Kamibaije?”
“It’s Kamibarez! But if it’s too hard, just call me Kami!”
Benz’s heart raced.
They had only just met and already she was letting him use a nickname?
‘Could it be… she likes me too?’
“Dream on, drowned grasshopper.”
“Shut it, Sierra!”
A little later, the second boat arrived, and the group headed into the city together.
Unlike the other four schools, which were closed off for security reasons, Moyran opened its campus to the public.
As more people settled here, the city expanded until the distinction between school campus and urban center became meaningless.
Ordinary citizens couldn’t enter school buildings or secure areas, of course, but the sight of charming shopping streets lined right in front of school grounds was unique to Moyran.
“It’s so pretty!”
“All the rooftops are white.”
The scenery of the city was beautiful.
Picturesque canals cut through it, and one could often see Moyran students in uniform riding boats alongside ordinary townsfolk. By boarding a water-taxi, it seemed, one could reach anywhere in the city in no time.
Jane and the students walked down the streets until they arrived before the central plaza.
“From here begins the entrance to Moyran.”
She glanced at her wristwatch.
“The transfer evaluation matches are in the afternoon. We came early, so the morning is free. From now on—”
Her students’ eyes sparkled with anticipation. Jane gave them a faint smile.
“It’s free time.”
“Woooooah!”
The students cheered, throwing their arms in the air. Passersby glanced curiously at the commotion before moving along.
“Scatter and enjoy yourselves. Be back here in the central plaza by 1 p.m. sharp. And especially you three in the student council—save your stamina for this afternoon’s matches.”
“Yes, Professor!”
“Then, dismissed.”
Jane turned her back and walked away as the students dispersed.
“Simon!”
Maelyn suddenly grabbed Simon’s wrist and bolted.
“What are you doing? Run! Let’s go ride Moyran’s famous water slide!”
“Yes, let’s!”
“W-Wait! Is it far—?!”
Blushing, Simon was dragged off by Maelyn and Kamibarez. Benz reached out instinctively, but faltered, trembling with frustration instead of calling out.
‘Damn it! I was going to ask Kami out…!’
Jetz, watching the pathetic display, shook his head and strolled toward a candy shop with the Sierra girls.
* * *
The precious free time passed in a blur.
Simon rode the famous Moyran water slide with Maelyn and Kamibarez (grumbling at the outrageous fee of 500 silver for a single ride), wandered through the shopping center side by side, and finally shared a plate of cream pasta. By then, the time was gone.
At exactly 1 p.m., everyone regrouped at the central plaza. Moyran’s chancellor and faculty were there to greet them.
“It’s been a while, vice-chancellor Jane.”
“Yes. It has.”
The chancellor of Moyran was a woman.
Once a school considered weaker than Aland or Sierra, she had revolutionized Moyran with her bold leadership. She was praised for raising both student ability and the school’s honor simultaneously.
Her relationship with Jane seemed amicable, unlike the tense rivalry shown by other chancellors and professors in previous exchanges.
Following her lead, they moved to Moyran’s arena, where the transfer evaluation matches would be held.
Wooooooahhhhh!
The largest crowd Simon had ever seen filled the stands.
The first floor was packed with Moyran students in their sky-blue uniforms, while the second floor was open to the public.
Before them lay the Canal Arena—designed after Moyran’s canal city itself, with pure lake water running through it, both practical and breathtakingly beautiful.
“Talk about home advantage.”
Simon muttered while surveying the surroundings, his student council coat fluttering. Maelyn crossed her arms.
“Of course! The Moyran kids will almost all fight using water-based techniques. Not just Darkness Dynamics, but other departments too. Shutting down their water will be the key.”
She rattled off her strategic thoughts.
Meanwhile, Kamibarez had gone pale at the sight of the overwhelming crowd.
“You okay, Kami?”
“...Simon.”
Her brows drooped as she looked up at him.
“S-Simon, you’ve already fought twice in places like this?”
Simon smiled warmly.
“I was nervous at first too, but once the match starts, you forget all about it.”
“R-Right! I’ll do my best not to fall behind you two!”
Though trembling, she clenched her fists. Simon thought it would be best if either he or Maelyn went first, to ease her burden.
“Students! Esteemed guests! Welcome!”
Moyran’s chancellor stepped into the arena’s center. Thunderous applause and cheers erupted.
“Once again, I thank you all for joining this grand transfer with Keyzen. Moyran is honored to host such an event—”
While she delivered her polished speech, Simon stretched in the waiting area. Across the way, Moyran students were warming up.
Some even waved casually when Simon’s gaze met theirs.
And then—
‘Who’s that?’
Among them stood a boy with snow-white hair, assumed to be another transfer student.
He stared blankly skyward with dead eyes, slowly stirring his fingers.
Only when Simon followed his gaze did he notice a bird fluttering above the arena. The boy crooked his finger, and the bird suddenly faltered, flying awkwardly before plummeting behind the stadium.
Simon frowned.
“...!”
The white-haired boy’s lifeless eyes locked onto him.
Every hair on Simon’s body stood on end.
“That concludes my address.”
The chancellor’s speech ended, and the crowd roared once again.
She produced a box.
“Now, let the first match begin.”
She rummaged inside, pulled out two spheres, and handed them to the referee. He read them aloud, one by one.
“Moyran’s student—Alizarin Jaq! And—”
The whole stadium held its breath.
“Kamibarez Ursula! Step forward!”
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