How to Survive at the Academy - Ch. 242
TL: TangSanFan
ED/PR: Tanthus
***Bellbrook Subjugation Battle (10)***
As two one-eyed giants rose with their hefty bodies, their gaze matched the height of the top floor of the lofty royal residence. When they swung their lumbering arms and shattered one side of the royal quarters, the outer wall crumbled down. Soldiers on the roof fired arrows frantically, but there was no sign of them making an impact on the giants.
The two one-eyed giants stood tall in the central garden of the royal residence, demolishing the surroundings, while Princess Phoenia and Emperor Clorel were running through a corridor on the first floor.
Her body was already full of scratches, and her dress was torn. Uncomfortable with running in her shoes, she had thrown them away, and her once white and tender feet were now bleeding from numerous wounds.
Princess Phoenia grimaced as she fled, with three giant bats following closely, scraping along the corridor walls behind her.
Occasionally, soldiers appeared and threw themselves in the path of the creatures to halt their advance, but it only bought a little distance—they couldn’t completely shake them off.
Moreover, it was questionable if there was any point in shaking them off. The royal residence’s garden was already teeming with demonic beings, and wherever one went, the sound of soldiers swinging their swords filled the air.
There was no escape route.
And her body was seriously injured.
During their escape from the giant bat that broke into the receiving room, almost all her magic power had been used up. In that process, wounds were inflicted on her forearm, and she suffered a deep gash on her right shoulder, yet now was not the time to succumb to the pain and collapse.
“Your Majesty! Please head towards the back door! A carriage is waiting!” a valiant knight shouted, blocking a giant bat.
“Escape to a safer place, even if just a little further. Our royal guard will do what we can to hold them off here!”
Even if they reached the back door and boarded the carriage, they didn’t know where to head. The island of Acken was already engulfed by demonkind.
But, it was better than standing still. Emperor Clorel nodded and ran even faster, dragging along Princess Phoenia.
“Kraaaak!”
As they turned into the corridor, they heard the scream of the very soldier who had just shouted from behind them. Clearly, it was an act of desperation to face it alone.
Loyal knights were being sacrificed like pawns in order to barely keep their lives.
Emperor Clorel sighed as if pained by the idea, and Princess Phoenia clenched her eyes shut as well.
Barely catching their breath, they emerged behind the main building of the royal residence, and the cold night air filled their lungs. The refreshing coolness certainly made them more alert, but seeing the number of demonkind that covered the sky was disheartening.
Princess Phoenia steeled herself once more and this time took the lead towards the back door.
They might be spotted by the flying demonkind. Still, it was far better than standing still and being victimized.
Even Emperor Clorel, who had not been mustering the courage to act, took a deep breath and ran.
The demonkind in the sky looked down upon the two figures without mercy. From their perspective, these two running for their lives seemed inadequately armed for battle.
It was as if they had found the perfect prey when suddenly, a griffin with grotesquely twisted form swept down, expanding its wings wide.
In that moment, the expansive sky vanished. Thousands of elemental magic circles covered the sky, and the burst of light from them colored the world in a flash.
It was sheer luck. There’s no other fitting term for it.
As the magical circles, manifested by the power of Lucy, enveloped the sky, every flying demonic being was drawn to them.
For both humans and demonkind, it was a spectacle of magic circles on a vast scale like they’d never witnessed before.
Even for Lucy Mayrill, the sheer number of circles spread across the entire sky of Acken Island left every spectator in shock.
And then, as the magic contained within those multiple circles was unleashed… the world was engulfed in a flash.
– Kwaahhhhhhhhh!
The explosion that surpassed all limits erased the world in an instant.
The swift light covered the sky before the ears could catch up with the blast. The eardrums screamed in pain from the delayed explosive sound.
Numerous demonkind floating in the sky were affected, and even the chained Bellbrook began to writhe in agony.
For a brief moment, all the numerous demonkind that had covered the sky vanished.
Rain of flesh poured down from the sky. Fragmented bodies of the demonkind covered Acken Island, turning lush forests and pale buildings red.
– Plopplop plop
– Whoosh
Every being covered in blood seemed like hell incarnate.
Princess Phoenia continued running along the backside of the garden, despite the chill running through her entire body from the sight.
That single strike had almost entirely wiped out the demonkind covering the sky.
Of course, considering Bellbrook’s power to continuously summon demonkind, it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed again.
But, at this very moment, it was the only chance to escape to a safe zone.
They just needed to avoid the demonkind already on the ground and find a secure area. That would at least ensure the safety of Emperor Clorel.
With that certainty in mind, as she arrived at the back door, the massive carriage mentioned by the knight stood ready. Phoenia clenched her teeth, ran towards it, and hurriedly boarded Emperor Kloeil into the carriage.
Then, she climbed atop the outer door of the carriage to the coachman’s seat and urgently shouted out the window.
“Go now! Quickly!”
Saying so, she peered inside to catch her breath.
A single lifeless body of the old and experienced coachman.
The coachman had been waiting for the princess and emperor but was attacked and killed by a gremlin. A large sword was embedded in his shoulder.
And then, a gremlin that was feeding on the body locked eyes with Princess Phoenia. Phoenia felt goosebumps rising all over, from her toes to the very inner lining of her organs.
Brandishing a sword, the gremlin let out a roar and lunged at Phoenia, who was clinging to the carriage.
“Screaaaam!”
Phoenia quickly shoved herself to the side, avoiding the door as it burst open and the gremlin lunged towards her, swinging its arms, but in doing so, she tumbled down.
Phoenia, now covered in mud from rolling on the ground, held a sword in reverse grip and faced the advancing gremlin. Narrowly avoiding the strike by rolling to the side, she was now covered in mud from head to toe.
However, she didn’t let it stop her. Phoenia gathered her magic and conjured a body of water magic. Pulling forth a water orb, she hurled it at the gremlin.
Hit by the magic straight on, the gremlin screamed in agony and stumbled back a few steps. Phoenia rose, shaking, and fired another water orb directly into the gremlin’s eye.
Taking advantage of the clutching pain it was feeling, she cast an intermediate water magic ‘Drowning’.
The pool of water formed near the gremlin’s head, suffocating its respiratory tract.
Despite its struggle and attempts to break free from the magic, Princess Phoenia, while bleeding herself, did not lose her mental focus. She maintained the spell for a while until the gremlin finally lost consciousness and collapsed.
It wasn’t even an elite demonkind, yet so much precious time had been wasted, and it felt as though all her magic power was drained.
Still, Phoenia gritted her teeth and climbed back onto the coachman’s seat. Looking at the body of the coachman, half drowned in blood and guts, threatened to once again cloud her consciousness.
Princess Phoenia, on the verge of depleting her physical strength, managed to push the coachman’s body out of the carriage. The coachman’s lifeless form sprawled out on the ground, discarded like trash. Phoenia, unable to afford the deceased proper respect, offered a brief prayer and grabbed the whip. Thankfully, the horses seemed to be unharmed.
She could still evacuate from the royal residence.
Her appearance was terrible, covered in blood and mud, but she had managed to preserve her life.
Just as she thought this, the horses were crushed under a one-eyed giant’s foot.
It all happened in an instant.
– Koom
The giant’s foot squelched in blood.
Lifting her head to look up, she saw one of the one-eyed giants, having emerged from the garden, towering over Phoenia’s carriage.
It felt as if the giant had intended to obliterate everything in one go but failed its mark and ended up killing the horses instead. Now, with a chilling smile, the giant prepared to smash them once and for all with a hateful raise of its foot.
She was going to die.
Crushed to death under its foot.
There were no means of resistance.
If it was this difficult to defeat a low-rank gremlin, there was no way to defeat such a high-rank demonkind.
As the one-eyed giant slowly adjusted the position of its foot, preparing to deliver the final blow, the moment arrived.
– Bang! Kwang!
A blonde man plummeted onto the carriage, failing to land correctly, and hit the outer wall, rolling heavily once. Nevertheless, he disregarded it and immediately pulled Princess Phoenia by the arm, throwing both of their bodies out of harm’s way.
The man who landed and rolled with Princess Phoenia embraced her tightly. It was unmistakably… Ed Rothtaylor.
“Gasp…!”
At the same time, a water lion, formed entirely of liquid, emerged from the carriage carrying away Emperor Clorel.
A second later, the giant’s foot came down on the carriage, which burst into pieces.
– Kwaang!
Dust rose into the air.
From within the dust, coughing and regaining her senses, Phoenia saw the man who had held onto her.
And once again, she held her breath.
The man, Ed, was far worse injured than Phoenia could compare.
His bleeding was serious. The cuts on his body looked as though they had been pierced and gouged by awls.
Despite the pain that must have come from even just breathing, he had rescued Phoenia.
“Ed… Rothtaylor…! You…!”
Before she could continue, the one-eyed giant’s gaze fell upon the two of them. Phoenia quickly came to her senses. It wasn’t time to remain idle. If they did, they’d simply end up being crushed under the giant’s foot together.
However, the giant did not get the chance to lift its foot again.
– Woosh!
A massive salamander manifested, with its body even slightly larger than the one-eyed giant.
While it looked like a battle of monsters, Tarkan’s fire magic was deadly to the one-eyed giant, lacking magical resistance.
The flames pouring from Tarkan’s mouth engulfed the giant.
Astride its head were Yenika Faelover and… Princess Phoenia’s sister, Sella.
“This… this is…”
“Princess Phoenia.”
Ed fought through severe pain as he risen, meeting Princess Phoenia’s eyes up close.
“I’m truly relieved… you’re alive.”
Despite being drenched in blood, he had ensured Phoenia’s wellbeing to the end… Phoenia was deeply flustered by this.
He was battered and bruised, but still ventured into the hellish mess unleashed in the royal residence to protect Phoenia.
Blood pouring from Ed’s wounds trickled down Phoenia’s cheeks.
Startled, Phoenia looked at him with shaking eyes…
Watching Ed in silence… she finally spoke first.
“Shouldn’t you be treated… treated? Now is not the time to be doing this…!”
– Whooosh!
Having subdued the cyclops, Tarkan lowered his head, and from atop him, Princesses Yenika and Sella leapt down.
Landing on the grass, the two hurried over; Sella ran to Emperor Clorel, while Yenika supported Ed Rothtaylor.
“Father! Are you alright?”
“I am relieved to see you safe, my daughter Sella! I was worried about you… Thank goodness. It is truly fortunate.”
“Seeing Father unharmed also…”
Sella couldn’t finish her sentence as she let out a sigh of relief.
After setting Phoenia down, Ed, with Yenika’s support, barely managed to stand.
“Ed! You’re not well… What will you do if you jump down like that suddenly! With this much blood loss, it wouldn’t be surprising if you die on the spot…!”
As Yenika cried out with a worried voice, Ed again lifted his head to speak.
“There’s no time for long explanations, Lady Phoenia. You must go to where Taely is right away.”
“What…?”
“We… must capture that dragon here and now. Otherwise, it will become a calamity spreading across the entire empire.”
Hearing this, Emperor Clorel, who had just managed to stand up with Sella’s support, spoke.
“You are… Sir Ed Rothtaylor…”
“Your Majesty… The situation is urgent, I wish I could lay it out slowly for you… but we don’t have time for that.”
Ed said, enduring the surging pain.
“We should head to… a likely place… the garrison close to Triss Hall, where Taely’s party was last seen… Ophelius Hall… You must make your way to Ophelius Hall… It will be safer there than here and… furthermore… Cough…”
Ed grimaced as he coughed up blood again. Witnessing this, Yenika, who was supporting Ed, closed her eyes tightly and then spoke to Princess Phoenia.
“Is there no medical team? Ed needs to be treated immediately!”
“That seems to be the case… but the royal residence’s interior has been penetrated by monsters up to the core… It’s as if there are no medics left to speak of! Most are likely dead…”
“Have we come this far… only to find Ed cannot be treated?”
Princess Phoenia trembled, looking at Ed’s wounds.
“However… yes, somehow… we must find a way to give at least basic emergency treatment…”
“No need. We can get treatment at Ophelius Hall.”
The reason Ed Rothtaylor came here was not to be treated.
Even amidst the confusion clouding his consciousness, the reason for his arrival was clear.
“If Lady Phoenia is safe, then that is enough.”
Phoenia still looked stunned as she gazed at Ed.
Their relationship was long, and mostly bound by contracts… but she had never imagined Ed would go to such lengths on her behalf.
To think that he rushed to the royal lodge with the sole intention of rescaving Phoenia despite his injuries. His willpower was astonishing just to observe.
“Ed… Rothtaylor… You…”
Gritting his teeth, Ed once again turned his gaze toward Emperor Clorel.
The current goal was to capture Bellbrook. For that purpose, it was essential to take Princess Phoenia with them.
In such chaotic circumstances, if he were to speak of putting Phoenia into the Bellbrook extermination team, Emperor Clorel would hardly agree.
Nevertheless, Ed had to explain the situation well enough to take Phoenia with him.
“Your Majesty.”
Ignoring the blood streaming down his face, Ed bowed deeply.
“I’m sure you’re well aware, but the current situation is nothing short of a national disaster. If we don’t resolve this here and now, the casualties will far exceed tens of thousands. It wouldn’t be surprising if… the empire’s lineage ended here.”
“That’s… It is so…”
“Whether you’ll trust me or not, I’m not sure. Nevertheless, I must tell you that there is a way to subdue Bellbrook. Of course, it’s not going to be easy. Yet, we will try our best…”
Declining Yenika’s support for a moment, Ed walked on his own strength, approached Emperor Clorel, and bowed again.
“We need Lady Phoenia. Please allow me to take her with me.”
“…”
Phoenia suddenly flushed and trembled.
Watching silently until now, Princess Sella raised her voice suddenly.
“Ed Rothtaylor! Is it not strange to make a request in such a manner?”
Silence fell at Sella’s words.
No one might have thought of it that way, and they might regard it as overreacting… but Sella was sincere.
And, for good reason, since Phoenia’s expression had not been usual.
Yenika also seemed to have developed a sort of wild intuition, looking around anxiously for no apparent reason.
Yet, Emperor Clorel possessed insight.
The more urgent the situation, the more he could pierce to the heart of the matter.
“Do not mistake recklessness for courage, Ed Rothtaylor. That Sacred Dragon… Even the legendary Sword Saint Luden had to risk his life against such a mythical monster.”
“To not fight back and die a dog’s death is unacceptable. If we do not put an end to it here, the damage will spread across the continent. The plan is to gather the forces from various garrisons within the island of Akensei to resist.”
“Summoning those scattered and in disarray, others who can barely hold their own, let alone move haphazardly?”
“Fortunately, I can persuade the leaders of each garrison.”
The top student of the combat division, Tyke Elfellan,
The acting head of the Elte Commerce Guild in Sylvania, Lortelle Keheln.
Tanya Rothtaylor, the president of the Sylvania Academy student council.
Saintess Clarice of the Holy Telos Order.
Belle Mayar, the head maid of the highest grade dormitory, Ophelius Hall.
Leaders with different values, lifestyles, and approaches in an emergency like this.
Yet, there is one common factor among those various leaders… They are all connected by Ed Rothtaylor, who is at the center of their intricate relationships.
Already, spirits bearing Yenika’s letters flew to various parts of Akensei.
It would have been difficult to send spirits because of the monsters, but thanks to Lucy’s magic clearing the demons in the sky… messages could be sent much faster.
Lucy’s elemental magic was close to desperation, but… as a result, the communication between the garrisons was established more quickly.
“I have taken responsibility and sent messengers calling them to gather at Ophelius Hall; they all know that simply waiting without end will only bring about disaster.”
“Ha… Haha…”
Emperor Clorel laughed as if it was unbelievable.
Even figures that were hard to control instantly, including heavyweights like Saintess Clarice and Acting Head Lortelle, tend to be conservative in urgent situations like these.
To wrap all these figures around one’s finger at once and get them to gather at Ophelius Hall… was that even possible?
A leader always has to weigh the risks. To forcibly move a garrison, fight through monsters, and gather in one place… is not an easy decision, and uniting the heads in one cause is a politically strenuous task.
Yet this man is confident he can rally those torn forces in one place.
There are only two kinds of people capable of such a feat.
Either an incarnation of political acumen.
Or a hero.
Which is this man? Emperor Clorel looked at the bleeding Ed but did not reach a conclusion.
It doesn’t matter which.
What is important now is resolving the immediate crisis.
Whether a cunning political strategist or a heroic leader who commands the hearts of the people… The key point is that the leaders of those garrisons follow Ed’s will.
Then, trusting this man’s policy is the right decision as the Emperor.
Emperor Clorel quietly gazed at Ed Rothtaylor.
A new flame blooming from that Rothtaylor house, which had been shaken and controlled by Crebin.
In the end, it wasn’t a completely corrupted family after all.