Chapter 577
The lecture paused for a moment.
Aron stepped outside the classroom to talk with the representatives from Keyzen, while Simon listened to Serne’s story.
To put it simply—Serne had postponed the period for ascending to the position of Ivory Tower Master.
She declared she would continue attending Keyzen. After officially graduating, then she would take the position of Tower Master. That was the condition she put forth.
“Wait a second! Then what happens to the Ivory Tower while you’re still at Keyzen?”
“Uncle Daniella will handle the administration.”
The leader of the moderates, Daniella Villene, would serve as ‘Acting Tower Master’. Simon was a little surprised after hearing this.
“The opposition must have been intense.”
“They can oppose all they want. What are they going to do about it?”
Serne crossed her legs arrogantly and waved the feather in her hand.
“My father is dead. That means the Ivory Tower has no choice but to cling to me. Whatever demands I make, they’ll have to accept.”
And in truth, she was right.
This incident had thrown the Ivory Tower into a deep crisis. Though they managed to save face by helping both the Dark Alliance and Keyzen, the revelation that the Tower Master had been a mere puppet of the ‘Executioners’ had severely damaged their reputation across the continent.
The Neutral Zone, which had originally been prepared to accept them, scrapped all prior plans and decided to reconsider everything from scratch.
What the Ivory Tower needed in such a crisis was a powerful leader. The only one they could rely on was Serne—a woman with overwhelming talent and charisma.
Within the Tower, she was an irreplaceable figure. If she said she would delay for two years, then they had no choice but to allow it. She had become too big a presence to be bound by the Tower’s rules.
“But if you stay at Keyzen… won’t the radical faction inside the Tower be completely wiped out?”
The anti-Keyzen radicals had been Serne’s base of power. Simon’s sharp observation made her nod.
“Oh my, that’s an accurate guess.”
“Is that alright with you? Or… are you planning to establish the moderates as your new base?”
From beside him, Loraine’s ears perked up at those words.
From her perspective, it would of course be ideal if the pro-Keyzen moderates gained control within the Ivory Tower. And if even its future leader, Serne, sided with Keyzen…
“No. One day I’ll destroy Keyzen.”
Serne immediately rejected the thought with a cold, steely face.
“I’m only cutting away the current radicals because they’re tainted by that filth called the Executioners. When I graduate and become Tower Master, I’ll build a solid faction unshaken by the Executioners or outside influences. By then—”
She flashed a sly smile and glanced toward Loraine.
“Keyzen will face the most dreadful enemy in its history.”
“…I was a fool for even thinking you might have changed, even for a moment.”
Shadows fell across Loraine’s face as she spoke. Serne covered her lips and laughed slyly like a fox.
“Oh dear~ That’s a rude way to talk to the benefactor who saved you from the Executioners’ wicked schemes.”
“…You should be grateful you weren’t put on trial for helping Bermude’s plan.”
The sparks in their eyes collided fiercely as they glared at one another. Stuck in the middle, Simon gave an awkward smile.
‘These two will keep fighting forever.’
“Oh, by the way.”
Serne turned to Simon.
“You haven’t told Maelyn yet, right?”
“Yeah. She hasn’t even returned yet.”
Apparently, Maelyn had delayed returning to Keyzen to make a quick stop at the Ivory Tower. Something had happened in her homeland, so she likely wanted to check it personally.
Serne raised a finger and grinned brightly.
“Actually, I’m considering adding another clause: ‘If someone more outstanding than me appears before I graduate from Keyzen, then I’ll yield the position of Tower Master!’ What do you think?”
“You plan to yield it to Maelyn?”
“Nope, didn’t I say? I’ll be Tower Master in order to smash Keyzen to pieces.”
Declaring war right in front of Neftis’ daughter, she then lowered her voice so only Simon could hear.
“It’s a way to motivate Maelyn. I want her to push herself desperately harder. And imagining her being crushed by me in the end, falling into despair…”
She clasped her hands together.
“Honestly, I can hardly wait!”
“……”
Simon’s face stiffened for a moment, but then he slowly smiled, and finally broke into quiet laughter.
“What’s that laugh for?”
Serne pouted her lips.
“It’s nothing.”
Simon replied calmly. She frowned and shook his arm, whining.
“Hey! Don’t give me that ‘I know everything’ look!”
“I said it’s nothing.”
Meanwhile, Loraine was watching the two with a nervous expression.
‘Those two… They look even closer than before.’
It was only natural after nearly dying together multiple times in the Tower of Time. Still, it hurt to see Serne pulling ahead in the recruitment battle for Simon, which would come in two years.
‘I don’t want to lose Simon either…’
For the first time, Loraine found herself envying Serne’s free-spirited personality, the way she could cling affectionately to Simon.
She tried imagining herself hanging off Simon’s arm like that.
‘Ugh.’
Her hair stood on end from the sheer embarrassment. Shaking her head vigorously, she dispelled the ridiculous thought.
There was no way she could let herself act like such a fool.
Simon was a precious friend. Though she didn’t know what path he would choose after graduation, she was certain Serne wouldn’t cloud his judgment.
For in the end, what moved people’s hearts was always sincerity. And in that, Loraine had confidence.
At that moment, Aron returned from speaking with the Keyzen staff.
“All preparations are complete.”
He checked his wristwatch once before speaking.
“You have exactly thirty minutes. Go back to your dorms, pack winter clothes, spare garments, toiletries, and then return here.”
“?!”
The students’ eyes went wide at the sudden announcement. Aron continued in a composed tone:
“This Dullahan special lecture will be conducted as a two-night, three-day group training camp.”
* * *
Group training camp, on a department-wide scale.
There had been outdoor classes and external lessons before, but this was the first time for something like this.
Since the dorms were quite far from the summoning department, the students dashed out in a hurry, summoning their portable summons. Cheers and whistles erupted everywhere in excitement.
—Hold on tight, Toto!
—Okay!
Simon and Toto rode a golem board back to the dormitory. Bursting into the room, they flung open their wardrobe.
“Whoa, a training camp out of nowhere! That scared me.”
Squeezing into the wardrobe with his small frame, Toto exclaimed.
“Same here.”
“Where do you think we’re going, Simon?”
“Since winter clothes are part of the supplies, probably somewhere cold.”
Simon said as he packed socks and underwear. But since he’d just returned from a deployment, he didn’t have enough socks for three days.
“Toto, could you lend me a pair of socks?”
“Of course!”
Simon unfolded the pair Toto handed him, then gave a wry smile.
‘Are these socks or gloves?’
They looked too small even to fit around his wrist.
Grateful but unable to use them, Simon returned the socks. Borrowing from Fitzgerald or just doing laundry at camp seemed the better option.
After finishing their packing, Simon and Toto hurried down the stairs—only to crash and collide with other students bursting from all directions. Chaos reigned.
Thirty minutes was indeed too short.
“Argh!”
In the rush, Toto bumped into something and clutched his nose. Looking up, he saw a massive backside.
“……”
Above it glared eyes so cold and murderous it felt like they could shred him apart with a glance.
Unfortunately, the one he had crashed into was Hector Moore. Toto froze stiff with a squeak.
“Hey there, Hector.”
Simon stepped forward with a cheerful smile. Instantly, Hector’s gaze shifted from Toto to Simon.
“…Everywhere you go, you stir up trouble, Simon Follentia. Did you shake up the Ivory Tower this time?”
“Not to that extent.”
“And that girl?”
“Oh, Serne? She decided to stay at Keyzen.”
Hector said nothing more, simply walked on with heavy steps. But just before exiting, he stopped and looked back.
“This Dullahan camp—I’ll make sure to crush you.”
Simon smiled lightly.
“Sure, I’ll look forward to it.”
Hector glared at Simon with fierce, burning eyes for a moment, then turned away and strode toward his faction waiting outside.
* * *
Thirty minutes later.
The students who had returned to the dormitories had all gathered, and under the supervision of the teaching assistants, they stepped onto the teleportation magic circle.
Simon, who boarded the circle first, opened his eyes.
‘Ah.’
Spread before him was a picture-perfect snowfield.
The gasps of awe from the students who arrived behind him rang out.
“Wooooow!”
A forest blanketed with white snow, softly piling in layers. Truly, a world of snow.
“So pretty.”
“You can see your breath.”
The students, excited at this surprise outdoor lesson, chatted noisily until the teaching assistants stepped forward.
“Students, we’ll check attendance now. Please line up in four rows.”
As they lined up, everyone took out their winter coats and robes. Though the Keyzen uniforms had heating functions, they weren’t nearly enough to withstand this kind of cold.
“Professor, all students have safely arrived.”
The assistants finished their headcount, and Aron nodded.
“This is the northernmost part of the Shahed Kingdom, the autonomous district of ‘Frigod’.”
Aron, too, had abandoned his usual shorts and slippers, donning a classic coat. Clothes really did make the man, he looked entirely different.
“Although this is royal land, it is still the natives’ autonomous territory. They are highly wary of outsiders, and since they don’t speak the continental tongue, communication is difficult. Be cautious. Any political disputes could spark, so don’t stir up unnecessary trouble.”
“Yes, Professor!”
“Then, let’s move out.”
Crunch, crunch.
Aron, the assistants, and all 52 students marched through the snow. Simon warmed his cold hands inside his robe while looking around.
“Haaah.”
Beside him, Loraine exhaled a puff of white breath.
Thankfully, her coat wasn’t pink but a sleek black longcoat, she looked like the young boss of a secret organization.
“I’ve never been in a place with such dense mana before.”
At her words, Simon took a deep breath. He could feel the mana flooding into his body, what normally took two breaths to fill was done in one.
“You’re right.”
“It’s actually quite famous at the Ivory Tower.”
Serne strolled up behind them with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling. She wore a luxurious golden-furred robe that was less clothing and more an extravagant display of wealth.
“Untainted nature. Abundant mana. It’s perfect for pure magic training.”
“I see.”
Snap!
Aron, who was walking in front, suddenly raised his arm. Everyone halted immediately at the stop signal.
“There’s a monster ahead.”
Indeed, there was.
Heavy footsteps grew louder, and the students tensed, scanning their surroundings.
Dudududududu!
A massive reptile, dinosaur-like in size, charged toward them. Its features were slightly different from the usual monsters found on the continent.
Fshhh—
Aron raised his hand, black mana blooming at his fingertips as though he were about to cast a magic circle. But then, he smirked and glanced back.
“Who wants to go?”
Tap!
Swish!
Swish!
Before he even finished speaking, three students rushed forward, unleashing Darkness without hesitation.
Simon, Hector, and Aseraz.
“You worthless beast.”
Hector soared with incredible leap power, landing atop the monster’s head and slamming down his clasped fists.
“Know your place before me!”
Craaaaash!
Pure Magical Combat force.
With a thunderous boom, the monster’s face was smashed into the ground.
Shaaak—
Beside him, Aseraz swept her hand. A magic circle floated into the air, releasing a blue flash that split the monster’s scales.
“I’ve marked its weak spot.”
Vwooom!
Simon leaped into the air next, waving his arms like a conductor.
The bones floating around him darkened to pitch black and shot forward like spikes.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
They pierced directly into the gaps Aseraz had opened. The monster, struggling to rise, lost its balance and collapsed.
Simon then swung his arm one last time.
The bones converged, forming a massive Bone Spear, which slammed down into the back of the monster’s head, crushing through its scales.
The three of them landed on the ground in their own distinct styles, while behind them the massive beast teetered and then crashed into the brush with a resounding thud.
“Wooooooah!”
The students erupted in applause and cheers. Aron nodded in approval.
“Well done. The corpse will be processed by the assistants and distributed among the three of you.”
“Yes, sir.”
After instructing the assistants, Aron looked back at the group.
“In twenty minutes, we’ll reach our destination. Don’t let your guard down.”
“Yes, Professor!”
* * *
The Shahed Kingdom, Weltreep Fiefdom.
The Hook Butcher Shop.
“Sell a plenty.”
A middle-aged nobleman entered with his child, and the butcher in an apron and boots bowed deeply.
“Thank you kindly, Milord!”
Ding-a-ling—
The bell jingled as the noble and child exited. The child chattered happily about the steak they’d eat that evening, while the butcher smiled warmly and waved even after they were gone.
“Alright then! Time for the next job…”
Ding-a-ling—
The bell rang again just as he turned his back. Still smiling, the butcher hoisted up a slab of meat.
“Welcome in!”
“Decline is the stairway to revolution.”
The butcher froze. Then he exhaled a long sigh and dropped the meat with a heavy thud.
With a flick of his hand, the curtains drew shut, the ‘OPEN’ sign flipped to ‘CLOSED’, and several soundproofing magic circles shimmered into place.
Click. Click.
Ssshhh—
He sat in a chair, cigar between his lips, and lit it with a spark.
Fwoooh—
He blew smoke, frowning.
“What is it this time? Things are going smoothly here. The rumors have spread across the region, and the target will be coming within a week…”
“Something more important has come up.”
The visitor wore a tall-brimmed hat, his face featureless save for a single pupil.
“Do you know these children?”
He pulled out two drawings.
One showed a boy with blue hair. The other, a girl with platinum-blonde hair.
“Ah… these brats. From the Ivory Tower incident…”
“Correct. They are the ones who ruined the perfect plan to destroy Keyzen.”
“Hah! Not the damned Crows, but just kids? And they pulled it off? Incredible.”
The butcher removed the cigar from his mouth.
“So, what do you want done? Want me to turn them into meat slabs too?”
“No.”
The gentleman adjusted his hat brim.
“Our master wishes to meet the boy. You must capture him alive. If you kill him… the one who’ll end up as meat will be you.”
“Unfortunate.”
“As for the girl—whether you capture or kill her, do as you like.”
Thunk.
The butcher pressed the burning cigar tip into the drawing of the blue-haired boy.
“Fine. Where are they now?”
* * *
Frigod, as an autonomous territory outside of royal governance, was naturally crawling with monsters.
In the twenty minutes of marching, the group encountered monsters three times. Each time, Aron selected students to fight them, offering tips on the summoning spells they used—it was part of the lesson.
Finally, they reached their destination. Aron halted in front of a hill, and the students hurried to gather around.
“We’ve arrived.”
He raised his index finger and pointed ahead.
“That is our base camp.”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters