Chapter 28: Chapter 28

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Aftermath and New Rumors

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My head was throbbing.

I felt strength return to my fingertips.

Suddenly, something surged up from my gut, and I spat out a mouthful.

"A choked gasp."

I opened my eyes as black smoke escaped my lips.

Unfamiliar faces came into view.

Isabel, Van, and her team members.

"Senior!"

I heard Aisha's voice calling my name.

After expelling the rest of the smoke, I knitted my brows.

What's with their expressions?

They all looked as if they'd seen a ghost.

'More importantly.'

Did I pass out?

My gaze fell to my body.

At the same time, I saw Syrmiel finally lowering her hand.

I quickly sifted through my memories.

I clearly remembered activating the magic inscription and throwing myself at the Forest Keeper.

I lost consciousness for a moment after the Explosion Magic Inscription activated.

The problem was the power of the Explosion Magic Inscription.

'It was much stronger than I'd anticipated.'

The magic inscription etched into my Steel Skin was done with Sharin's assistance.

As such, the magic inscription's power was expected to be considerable, but this was even beyond what I'd anticipated.

'Could it be... a synergy between the magic inscription and Steel Skin under specific conditions?'

Steel Skin contains the power of the Arcane.

Perhaps using a magic inscription embedded within it led to this result.

'To think the scale of the explosion I caused was so vast it made me lose consciousness.'

I hadn't intended to go that far.

I unnecessarily worried the kids.

"Thank you, Saint."

"It was nothing. I merely did what needed to be done."

Syrmiel wore a benevolent smile.

Truly a demeanor befitting a Saint.

"Shall I help you up?"

As Aisha approached, I gestured with my hand.

"It's fine. I'm perfectly alright now."

The Saint personally healed me.

In fact, my body feels much more comfortable moving than before I fainted.

'Looks like the Forest Keeper was dealt with successfully.'

The students' return should be fine.

What was more puzzling were Isabel's group.

"Isabel."

When I called her, Isabel flinched and looked my way.

Her reaction seemed a bit odd.

"It seems you came up much faster than anticipated."

Isabel stared at me without a word.

Her eyes flickered uneasily.

Normally, she would have grumbled or complained.

Today, her reaction was different.

"It's because I was cursed. It's not the others' fault."

Then, a Sacred Arts student stepped forward.

He was Gyson Zerusky, distinguished by his very short, buzzed hair.

'Their party composition is quite good.'

A stable setup.

With that composition, they should be able to navigate the lower floors without issue.

"Oh? If that's the case then."

If the healing specialist was cursed, then retreating was the correct decision.

I didn't ask further and stood up.

"Hanon's team, let's head back."

I'd used a lot of energy dealing with the Forest Keeper.

Having successfully achieved the objective of Act 3, Chapter 3, returning was the right call.

As it turned out, our team returned along with Isabel's team.

Isabel followed us, her lips pressed tightly together.

I didn't know what change of heart had caused her to act that way.

I just hoped it wasn't a turn for the worse.

Having returned safely, I informed Professor Veganon, who was waiting upfront, of the situation.

Her expression hardened, and then, after telling us to rest, she rushed off to another professor.

This would likely lead to additional warnings for students entering the Demon Palace in the future.

'The Demon Palace's transformation had too many uncertainties to be a commonly discussed topic yet.'

Entry into the Demon Palace occurred four times a year, based on the four seasons.

Each time, the Demon Palace's environment changed.

Therefore, it was difficult for investigators to realize that a transformation would occur only after the Demon Palace had appeared a hundred times.

This was a privilege known purely to players.

There was only one reason I hadn't revealed this fact earlier.

Since the protagonist, Lucas, was no longer in the picture, I wanted to guide the story as close to the original canon as possible, at least in these aspects.

The Demon Palace's transformation only truly gained attention after Act 3, Chapter 3.

So I let it proceed as closely to the original as possible.

'This should be pretty much according to canon, then.'

Only the characters involved were slightly different.

"...Hanon, you."

At that moment, Isabel spoke to me.

When I turned to her, Isabel was quietly looking at me.

Her aura felt more subdued than usual.

"What were you planning to do if an Apostle hadn't appeared in the Grey Forest?"

She seemed to already know the answer but asked for confirmation anyway.

The Forest Keeper's appearance was a confirmed event.

However, that was from a player's perspective; these individuals wouldn't know that.

"I would have waited. Or perhaps waited until all the students had returned."

So, when I offered a suitable excuse, Isabel replied, "I see," and walked away.

It was hard to read Isabel's intentions today, of all days.

What's really going on with her?

But given the image I'd cultivated with Isabel, I couldn't just ask.

Ultimately, unable to ask Isabel, I watched her leave with her group.

I could see the professors conversing in the distance.

My team members also seemed exhausted, as they were sitting down.

Act 3, Chapter 3.

Demon Palace transformation, Forest Keeper event.

This was the point at which they had been safely overcome.

And at the same time, the final boss of Act 3, the Calamity Dragon Maiden.

Nikita Cynthia.

The time for her brother, Nia Cynthia, the catalyst for her corruption, to be assassinated had arrived.

* * *

The first-quarter Demon Palace event concluded safely thereafter.

All students returned.

There were injured, but no fatalities.

Each student proudly boasted of their accomplishments.

However, among those accomplishments, some naturally garnered more attention.

That was Isabel's group.

The Apostle they confronted on the 3rd floor was a named Apostle who had survived for quite some time.

He was a wicked one, cunningly waiting on the upper floors, preying on skilled students as they descended.

Van, with his keen instincts, sensed his presence and engaged him, successfully eliminating the named Apostle as a result.

Thanks to this, Isabel's party's prestige greatly increased.

In contrast, our party's achievement wasn't widely discussed, as few had directly witnessed the Demon Palace's transformation.

Only the professors truly grasped the level of danger.

'It was a hidden event, and they handled it well.'

If Isabel hadn't managed to defeat it, I had planned to handle it in the next quarter.

The Apostle Isabel's group defeated was one that caused more problems the longer it survived.

So I had intended to deal with it next time, but Isabel's party did a good job.

'Even without the protagonist, they're doing well.'

As expected of the former protagonist's party.

"Ooooh? So the Arcane and magic inscriptions have synergy?"

At that moment, a voice sounded beside me.

A girl with eyes like a galaxy.

The top student of Archmagic.

Sharin Sazalys.

I asked Sharin about the connection between magic inscriptions and the Arcane.

Sharin, seemingly not having anticipated this either, showed an intrigued reaction.

"Well, no one else possesses both the Arcane and magic inscriptions simultaneously, so... I had no idea."

Sharin spoke with a drawn-out voice, her eyes sparkling.

Even Sharin, who seemed to drift through life with little interest in worldly affairs, was different when it came to magic.

"It'd be troublesome if I explode like this again. I'd like to ask you for some research help."

"Mhm, sure. I'm curious about this too."

Fortunately, there were no special conditions this time.

I was grateful for Sharin's generosity.

Putting aside the research into the Arcane and magic inscriptions with Sharin.

Before I knew it, the season had begun to lean towards summer.

A humid heat gradually rose from the ground.

Soon, the cicadas would begin their full-throated chorus.

Thanks to this, the students' attire became lighter.

Even Sharin, right in front of me, was wearing a shirt that fully exposed her arms and a pair of shorts.

It was quite revealing.

"Sharin, even if this is the dormitory, isn't your outfit a bit too light?"

This was a common room in the dormitory.

While attire was generally relaxed here, Sharin's was excessively free-spirited.

At that, Sharin's lips curled into a languid smile.

"Why? Are you going to turn into a hormonal teenager?"

Her face was full of teasing.

But that teasing stemmed from her confidence.

Among her peers, no one could really 'do' anything about Sharin, the top Archmagic student.

However.

"You're going to get a rude awakening someday."

It's a man's romance to humble that confidence.

At that, Sharin waved her hand dismissively, as if to say 'don't worry'.

"It's fine. I don't appear in outfits like this to anyone but you, Hanon."

I swallowed hard.

"Then... why do you appear like that in front of me?"

Sharin smiled languidly.

"Hmm, I wonder?"

That vixen.

"More importantly, Sharin, how's Isabel been recently?"

I changed the subject before I could be teased by Sharin any further.

At that, Sharin stretched out her body across the table.

"Same as usual. Though her training intensity has gone up a bit."

She said that, her cheek still pressed to the table, as she glanced up at me.

"Did something happen with Bel?"

"Not really."

Lately, whenever I run into Isabel, she just makes eye contact with me for a moment before turning away without a word.

Now, she doesn't even give me a chance to provoke her.

"Oh, speaking of which, there's something related to Bel."

"What is it?"

"She's been hanging out with Van a lot lately. So there are rumors that something might be going on between them."

With Van?

Maybe it's because Isabel just rushes off whenever I run into her.

I hadn't known that.

"Bel's getting training from Van."

That's not a bad decision.

Van is undeniably a genius when it comes to swordsmanship.

It would be a great help to Isabel, who also wields a sword.

"Everyone's just so desperate to connect dots like this, aren't they? They were the same way with Lucas."

She said that, then her lips sealed shut.

She had remembered Lucas's death.

'I must have spent a good deal of time with Sharin lately.'

Lately, I'd felt that Sharin's demeanor had softened considerably around me.

That's probably why Lucas's name just slipped out.

"Actually, I never got that vibe from either of them."

I tilted my head.

"Didn't Isabel and Lucas like each other?"

"It was more like a brother-sister relationship. Bel was mostly the one throwing tantrums."

True, Isabel doesn't fall for Lucas until after Act 4.

Before that, the story heavily emphasized their friendship.

Isabel falling for Lucas was a famous scene.

It wasn't because Lucas showed off some cool side of himself.

Lucas, due to various incidents, screamed in hatred for the world.

Isabel hugged him to comfort him and genuinely fell in love.

'So this is a sight I'll never see now.'

Lucas is no longer in this world.

All the famous scenes I remembered have become meaningless.

That fact left a bitter taste in my mouth in many ways.

"Hanon, don't you have anything like that?"

"Anything like what?"

"Someone you like, or someone you're involved with?"

Ridiculous.

"I haven't even been at the academy for half a year yet."

How could I possibly develop feelings for anyone in that time?

"Ah, well, there is someone I'm curious about."

"My bad, I have no intention of dating you, Hanon."

"Who said it was you?"

I got rejected without even confessing.

"Naturally, it's Senior Nikita."

"Hanon really likes Senior Nikita."

Even Sharin knows my true feelings for Nikita.

This isn't romantic interest.

It's purely an admiration for Nikita as a person.

That's why, when I think of the Calamity Dragon Maiden, who is slowly approaching, my thoughts grow deep.

"Oh, speaking of which, Senior Nikita's brother..."

My head snapped around.

Could it be, had some event already progressed?

"He's coming as a visiting associate professor of Archmagic at Jerion Academy for a short while."

Huh? Why?