How to Survive at the Academy - Ch. 247
TL: TangSanFan
ED/PR: Tanthus
***Bellbrook Subjugation Battle (15)***
Regardless of the people under the stage, the story on the stage flows on.
The moment Ed Rothtaylor and Sylvania vanished within the spatial barrier, the battle reached a brief stale and Yenika, utterly close to death, collapsed on the ground while the spirits that had filled the sky started to dissipate one by one.
Lucy, too, was in the same state. The ring on her finger shattered, unable to withstand the astronomical amount of magical power. Staggering, she moved towards the direction where Ed disappeared, eventually falling to the ground.
There was no one left to fend off the hordes of demon folk covering the skies.
Once again, the demon folk of Bellbrook engulfed the skies above Acken Island.
It seemed endless. Despite being relentlessly killed off, they kept coming.
However, human resistance never ended.
In the square, where only Yenika and Lucy lay in critical condition, new forces stormed in.
The Clerics Knights led by Saint Clarice, the mercenary forces of the Commerce Assembly centered around Lord Lortelle…
The blood-crazed sword demon Clevius, the student warriors following Tyke, the student council members led by Tanya Rothtaylor…
One by one, they arrived, joining the battle.
Suppressing the advancing demon folk, they moved toward the center of the square.
Enduring the magical powers of Bellbrook that rained from the sky, neutralizing the magic unleashed by demons… they pressed towards the heart of the battlefield.
The first to arrive was Lord Lortelle Keheln of Elte Trading Company.
Lortelle discovered the pool of blood under the crumbled spire, the remnants of Ed’s spirit magic, and Yenika and Lucy lying down.
Calmly, she instructed the mercenaries to take care of the two and assessed the situation.
The traces of numerous spirits and sacred magic indicated that an intense battle had taken place.
Here, Yenika and Lucy fought a blood battle to assist Ed to the brink of death.
It wasn’t a blood battle showcased in the spotlight on stage.
It was a fight known only amongst themselves, below stage. Nevertheless, it was a fight as fierce as any other.
Lortelle belonged to the shining protagonist generation.
Therefore, this was not Lortelle’s stage.
Quietly, she looked up at the sky.
Bellbrook, chained in irons, was thrashing about. Probably that massive dragon was the final adversary that the hero whom everyone anticipates must defeat.
Following the path of a hero is the proper course. If one follows that path steadily, a bright and beautiful conclusion awaits.
However, the ones standing next to Ed Rothtaylor were always those under the stage.
She gazed silently at the battered Yenika and Lucy.
Despite the brutal and arduous fight, in the end, they fought beside that man.
This was a crucial difference between them and Lortelle.
Standing on different stages means, at critical moments, a subtle gap arises.
This unfamiliar distance brought a loneliness-like feeling to her heart, but…
─And then she slowly smiled.
“Sorry, but I’ve never lived by the right answers.”
She remembered Ed Rothtaylor, who obsessively focused on survival until graduation. Wasn’t it Lortelle who, with her luring smile, declared that she would snatch him up when the time came?
Starting among the poor who told her to give up her dreams of wealth, she reached the pinnacle of riches. Lortelle Keheln was already accustomed to resisting things like fate and destiny.
Besides, the curtain call of the stage was near. Did he think Lortelle would despair here?
While taking care of the injured Yenika and Lucy, Lortelle smiled underneath her robe.
Bellbrook, the great radiance dragon.
If that massive being stands between Ed Rothtaylor and her stage, then he simply needs to be removed.
When the curtain falls, the stage comes to an end.
When the stage ends, even the shining leads must descend.
Gazing at the stairs leading down from the stage, Lortelle smiles enticingly.
The stage prepared by Ed Rothtaylor was approaching its climax.
When all is done, she will descend the stairs and slowly merge into the world where that man lives.
And then, finally, the Bellbrook subjugation team led by Taely stormed into the square, bringing all forces together.
Taely McLore, Aila Triss, Phoenia Elias Clorel, Lortelle Keheln, Zix Effelstein, Clevius Nortondale, Elvira Eniston.
The protagonist generation, with their burdens, gathered together, gazing up at the roaring Bellbrook.
The curtain on the stage slowly rises.
Taely McLore will win.
He was the protagonist.
* * *
As my blurred vision began to clear, I opened my eyes to find myself in a stark white space.
Had I lost consciousness entirely? I looked around in a daze, grimacing momentarily with the sharp pain that shot through my body, but managing to endure it.
There wasn’t much to see.
I was sitting in a modest wooden chair. In this white expanse, that was all there was.
And on the chair opposite me sat a familiar girl.
She too had bled profusely; her luxurious looking mage’s robe was splattered with red.
The girl with neatly combed white hair was the Grand Sage Sylvania Robespierre.
Noticing I was awake, Sylvania closed her eyes as if pondering what to say.
The first to speak was me.
“When did you come to?”
Facing the endless abyss within an ageless time must’ve been more difficult than anticipated.
So, I didn’t argue or protest.
“Around the time I saw Glascan.”
Sylvania’s voice was more frail than expected.
Entirely unlike when she lost her reason to madness. However, her downcast eyes and somber expression did not look particularly confident.
“I’ve been feeling the dissonance for a while. Slowly being consumed in the abyss, I think I thought my life was nothing but futile floundering.”
“That’s understandable.”
I empathized, although I didn’t offer consolation.
Only Sylvania Robespierre could console herself.
I felt my strength waning as I leaned back against the chair’s backrest.
“Where is this…”
“It’s a rift in space. If we hide inside the spatial barrier, we can be completely isolated from the outside world, free of any harm or influence.”
“Quite the experience.”
Slowly tensing my back, I leaned forward, then slumped as my strength gave out, propping myself up with my arms on my knees so I could continue speaking.
“Your life hasn’t been meaningless. After all, I am here.”
Not comfort nor flattery, just stating facts.
“I’m the proof.”
I wasn’t bound by any obligation to her, but I said at least that much.
Even the century’s greatest sage was still merely human.
That was all she needed—to know she wasn’t alone.
Sylvania laid her staff down gently and nodded. She seemed to be holding back tears, but eventually, they began to trickle down.
She lived to save the world. And indeed, she had failed many times, succumbed to madness, stumbled often.
But in the end, she triumphed. She found a path to a future beyond the steep cliffs.
The one who reached the journey’s end wasn’t me – it was Sylvania Robespierre.
With that in mind, I nodded back.
“Well, I guess it’s time to finish things up. Honestly, I thought the time was about right. I’m really glad you came to this world.”
“The time is right?”
“The laws of the world aren’t that simple. The total amount of souls permitted in the world is ultimately fixed. If you summon a soul from another world, then to balance that, a soul from this world must disappear. There’s a limit to defying the laws.”
Eternal obliteration through sacred magic twists the laws themselves, making what once existed cease to be altogether.
As Sylvania gathers the sacred magic, she speaks.
“I’ve caused many people to die due to my incompetence.”
The objective is to save the world.
She lived her life for this noble aim, but she doesn’t justify the lives sacrificed because of her. That was Sylvania’s human nature.
“I’ll eliminate Bellbrook and withdraw from this world. The void I’ll leave is your place.”
Sylvania stands up and speaks to me.
“Thank you for coming. And for surviving.”
“…”
“I’ll handle the rest. I just wanted to tell you, thank you for surviving. For gritting your teeth and holding on… So, just thank you…”
Sylvania then slowly turns around.
Probably, she plans to resolve this calamity. Thus, bellbrook would be subdued by Sylvania, and the world would hold hope of overcoming the cliffs.
Her place might not be there, but the result of saving the world remains.
That is enough. Having spent her life dedicated to a fate that was not futile floundering… Sylvania was able to smile.
“Hey.”
Of course, there was no way I would be convinced by that.
Leaving my almost powerless body as it was, I called out to Sylvania with all the strength my throat could muster.
“…?”
“I understand your situation. You had to struggle to save your world… That’s why you summoned me suddenly, that’s why I had to withstand all these crises… I can understand all of it.”
From her perspective, it must have been a desperate struggle to save her world. A part of a harrowing act of survival.
Let’s assume, generously, that I understand it all.
But, there is still something I cannot comprehend.
“What about the world I was in?”
“Hmm?”
“You said yourself that if the balance of the total amount of souls is disrupted, then the laws will twist. So who’s maintaining the balance in the world I left? How will you fill the place I left behind?”
I close my eyes.
The memories of the bonds left behind in that previous world still linger…
“It was like my hometown. I had grown quite attached to it. Then… if I have protected your world, you should take responsibility for mine.”
“That… is…”
“If I must exist in this world as a variable, then at the very least, shouldn’t you ensure that my original world remains intact?”
I was well aware of the sacrifice being made to keep me in this world, even at the cost of a soul’s extinction.
But such sacrifice is of no use to me.
There is only one thing I can talk about.
“I will take responsibility for your world, so you must take care of the one I left behind. Don’t try to run away using something like death as an excuse; take responsibility.”
“You mean, I should go to your world? In your place?”
“If you called me here, then it shouldn’t be impossible for you to go there.”
“I’ve never… tried it before…”
“Then you should at least attempt it.”
Sylvania looked at me with eyes wide open, seemingly taken aback by my reaction.
However, I was not mistaken in my logic.
Since arriving in this world, I have experienced a lot. Although there have been hardships, there have also been rewarding and enjoyable moments. But that does not mean I do not care for the world I left.
I do not wish for that place to be caught up in strange happenings.
“Then… what about Bellbrook…”
“Put some trust in the world. The Taely I know somehow overcame Bellbrook even when its seal was completely broken. How much more now, with more allies than before, and facing a Bellbrook whose seal has not been fully released?”
The stage was already set.
I have done all sorts of things to get by, but in the end, it all doesn’t matter if the outcome is favorable.
“Save your divine power and just protect my world. I’ll save yours.”
Isn’t this a simple trade?
There’s no need for deeper thought. I have no intention of letting go of the attachments I’ve left behind.
Sylvania gazed at me, and then with a smile, closed her eyes and laughed for a while before eventually, she continued speaking.
“You’re right.”
Nodding, Sylvania gathered all her divine power within her.
The scarlet magic filled the vast space. The once bright and white area now resembled a massive underground chamber, filled with the weighty divine power.
More power flooded the infinite space than when using the highest order of divine magic.
The sheer amount of energy was dizzying to behold.
A power that could stretch beyond the laws of the world and into the stars.
A spell I have cast hundreds of times – to summon Ed Rothtaylor.
This time, it was not to summon someone else, but for her own departure from this world.
And within the gaps of the vast magic gathering… a giant iron door began to rise.
“I don’t really know. After calling you here, it felt like a long time passed before you came to this world… Everything is unstable. I might have to float between the flow of time and space for a while. I may end up in the future, or perhaps far in the past.”
“Still, it’s probably much better than ending your own life here.”
“Right. And like you said, I have to take responsibility as much as you have.”
With a distant smile, Sylvania looked back.
She moved her lips as if to say something, but the words were lost amidst the swirling of magic.
It seemed like a gesture of thanks, so I waved my hand nonchalantly in response.
After all, all I have done was cause trouble every moment just to survive. I never had lofty, noble goals like saving the world.
We each survived in our own right. If that fact is confirmed, that’s enough.
Sylvania’s divine magic ‘Spatial Curtain’ began to fade.
As I watched Sylvania head towards the slowly opening door, I closed my eyes.
There was no need for goodbyes.
If we stayed alive, there would be another chance to meet.
* * *
As long as the night may be, the morning sun will always rise.
Even on that night in the forest, when I was threatened with a gun, once the long darkness passed, dawn came brilliantly.
The same holds true even in Acken Island, where monsters and Bellbrook wreaked havoc.
The Bellbrook extermination force gathered, and the morning sun rose against the backdrop of Taely slicing through space and flying into the sky.
Imperial forces, led by Princess Persica, prevented the spread of casualties to the continent by deploying widely along the coastal region to ceaselessly block the hordes of monsters.
Princess Phoenia, who escorted Taely and commanded the forces, Zix who cleared the path so Taely could reach Bellbrook’s heart, Clevius who deflected Bellbrook’s attacks with all his might, Elvira who minimized the damage caused by Bellbrook’s magic by bringing out vials, Lortelle who pondered more rational approaches to Bellbrook, and Taely and Aila at the center of it all, who kept their courage and morale high.
Everyone was desperately trying to survive.
On a rainy day, in a forest on a battlefield… I remember sitting against a tree stump, arms down.
I remember just staring at the squirrels scurrying around, ants crawling in the dirt, and sparrows perched on the treetops.
Despite everything, it seemed that all were simply living.
That fact penetrated my heart, assuring me that it would not vanish until my dying day.
When I woke up, I was lying amidst the rubble of a building.
Yenika and Lucy were lying close to me, both in tatters. Despite their apparently critical condition, they were clutching each other’s arms, resembling kittens.
Both were unconscious. They had been by my side until just before they lost consciousness.
The sky was high and clear. Had the day brightened while I wasn’t aware?
Sunlight poured from above the ruined building’s debris.
No sign of Bellbrook, which once shrouded the sky.
I tried to rise from the ruins, but the agony surged back, stopping me.
“Did you have a nice dream?”
Lortelle, who had been watching me lying with Yenika and Lucy, eventually spoke up.
Sitting peacefully among the building debris, like us, covered in blood.
It was a sign of the fierce battle. However, Lortelle sat there, smiling genuinely as if everything was now over.
“The show is over.”
Without elaborating on the long, life-or-death battle of last night, Lortelle just spoke, looking at the people gathered in the square. Troops and survivors sat amidst the ruins waiting for rescue teams, all gasping for breath. They were all battered.
The sky was free of the terrifying celestial dragon and demonic monsters that once threatened to destroy the world.
Only a gentle breeze swept through our hair.
Having stepped off the stage, Lortelle sat, weary, simply smiling. Then, with her eyes closed gently, she said,
“Thank you for your hard work.”
That short phrase unexpectedly tugged at my heart…
I lay there, simply looking up at the sky.
Suddenly, I remembered reading a book and looking out the window…
As always, the expanse of the blue morning sky unfolded before me.
* * *
Drip- Drip-
The sound of dripping water from the sink awakened the girl.
A dimly lit room. Unmade bed sheets. Clothes strewn about. The computer screen still aglow.
Occasionally, the sound of a passing train can be heard from outside the window. A cicada’s shrill cry. A breeze through the open window flips through the pages of a notebook on the floor table.
The girl jolts upright.
She stares around, bewildered. Blades lay scattered on the floor. There had been a sense of desperation to end life as it stood. Like that day when Ed Rothtaylor was about to hang himself.
Looking around, the girl sees a small mirror on the floor table. A petite girl with black hair and glasses reflected in the mirror, looking confused.
The girl presses her throbbing head and flips through the opened notebook. It’s full of drawings.
Illustrations of various impressive characters. They must have been drawn by the girl herself.
Some looked professionally done, like game concept art, drawn with genuine passion. Maybe they represented the girl’s dreams or goals. Shelves were full of books on various concept art. Other books on scenario writing and game programming were also piled high.
It’s a world without magic. No matter how much one tries to accumulate mana, nothing happens.
Partial memories still swirling in her head only serve to confuse her more. All that can be known about the girl now is that she once dreamed and despaired, and it seems she intended to end her life. That’s as much as can be surmised at this moment.
It’s a world full of unknowns.
Yet, the girl gets up from where she was lying.
The hum of the computer cooling fan buzzes as she stares blankly at the monitor screen. Staring at it as if in a staring contest, it’s still unclear what everything is.
She’s terribly hungry. For some reason, it feels like she hasn’t eaten in days. If she doesn’t want to die of starvation, she needs to find something to eat.
The girl somehow manages to stand and heads to the kitchen. Her stumbling steps are precarious.
As the girl left, the computer screen remained on for a while before finally going black. Right before going dark, the last username she set briefly flickered before disappearing.
‘PeperoPepe’
It was the name of the chocolate snack the girl used to buy often.
With that, the computer screen went completely dark, and only the sound of the struggling girl prying open the refrigerator door crept into the room.
To stay alive, she had to eat.
And as long as one is alive, life goes on. As it always has.