425 – The Resolve of One to Reclaim -1-

Ruin raised his trembling head, gazing at the woman before him.

“Pleased to meet you, Student Ruin.”

“…”

“Seems this is the first time I’ve greeted you like this.”

Because he couldn’t fathom why a heretical Apostle was here.

The one who brainwashed countless students and led them into danger. He couldn’t understand her standing before a sign that read ‘Siege Team’.

More than anything, he feared what the sign before him, marked ‘Siege Team’, implied.

“Hmph…”

The heretical Apostle, appearing more composed than anyone else, let out a soft sigh, muttering to herself.

“Drew a lottery, and look… Siege Team, how bothersome. It would have been more entertaining to get Defense Team…”

“…”

“Ah, right!”

Elysia, after muttering words he couldn’t understand, clapped her hands together ‘Clap.’ as if nothing had happened, and said with a smile.

“Ah, right! I should introduce myself. Introduce myself…”

“…”

“Pleased to meet you, everyone! I’m Elysia, a lecturer teaching at the Healing Faculty.”

“Healing Faculty…?”

Hanse…

Ricardo, that fiend.

And…

“You?”

The fact that an Apostle, the highest power in the heretical sect, had come to teach academy students kept forcing a strained smile onto Ruin’s face.

*Ricardo, that son of a…*

How did he manage to attract only these kinds of monstrous people? Ruin was genuinely curious about what went on inside Ricardo’s head.

Ignoring Ruin’s silent questioning, Elysia began to rattle off the details of the lesson to the bewildered students.

“This class will be a three-day siege warfare exercise.”

*…Siege warfare?*

Siege warfare with so few people?

Ruin scoffed at Elysia’s words about conducting a siege with just over fifteen people. A mock battle was one thing, but this felt ridiculous.

*This is too forced.*

Furthermore, with such a small number of defenders, the attacking team would have an overwhelming advantage. Ruin internally mocked Ricardo, the person in charge of the entire class, for devising such a flawed exercise.

*I think it would be more efficient to hunt Orcs during this time.*

The other students’ reactions were pessimistic as well, but Elysia stubbornly continued with the introduction to the lesson.

“From this moment on, the sixteen of you are divided into a defensive team and an attacking team. The nine of us here, including myself, are the attacking team. Conversely, the defensive team, including the magic department instructor, consists of nine people.”

“…”

“From now on, our attacking team wins if we seize the symbol held by the ‘King’ chosen by the defensive team. Conversely, the attacking team loses if we fail to capture the defensive team’s symbol.”

“…”

“Of course, instructors cannot be ‘Kings.’ We will participate with certain limitations, so you don’t have to worry.”

Elysia pulled out a golden, shimmering towel from her pocket, explaining that this was the symbol of the ‘King.’

Faulkner, who had been listening to the story, raised his hand and voiced the very words Ruin had been thinking. Wasn’t this game overwhelmingly unfair to the defending team, no matter how you looked at it?

“Isn’t the attacking team at a massive advantage when assaulting an empty castle?”

“Hmm?”

“Even if it’s just a simplified siege warfare exercise, I believe the attacking team is favored when storming an empty castle with only nine people.”

“Are you Faulkner, the student?”

“Yes, I am.”

“So, the core of what you’re saying, Faulkner, is that the defending team should be given a handicap.”

Faulkner, a lover of equality, nodded, acknowledging Elysia’s summary. He didn’t show it, but he thought the attacking team’s current balance was better than the defensive team’s.

From Histrania Hannah, the pride of the swordsmanship department and the youngest ever to awaken as an Auror, to Mikhail, who seized second place in the ranking battle.

And then there was ‘Mira Silvaren,’ already renowned within the Healing Faculty.

Not to mention Ruin of the Magic Faculty, and ‘himself,’ destined to become the world’s foremost mage.

Faulkner figured that while ‘Yuria’ and the ‘Senior Director,’ absent as they were, presented some obstacles, the other students could be readily overcome.

After all, his magic, above all else, was potent in direct confrontation.

“Student Faulkner.”

“Yes.”

“Have you experience with siege warfare?”

“Pardon? Of course, in the Academy coursework…”

Elysea shrugged, answering as if the question were beneath her, drawing from her own experience.

“Sieges, as a rule, last six to seven months. They can drag on for ten years in some cases.”

“…”

“To illustrate, consider the conflict with the Qing Kingdom some twenty-odd years prior… Taking even a minor fortress took roughly a year.”

“…That’s…”

“Granted, the Qing deployed exceptional personnel, and the Empire’s Sword Masters were largely unavailable to reinforce the area, which prolonged the conflict…”

Elysea offered a small smile.

“The defending side holds the advantage in siege warfare.”

So spoke one with the hard-won wisdom of war.

Faulkner fell silent at Elysea’s words, his face flushing red. He felt foolish for having voiced such a self-evident truism.

Elysea, sensing Faulkner’s thoughts, offered a clarifying remark.

“It seems Student Faulkner is perhaps more satisfied with the composition of the attacking team than the defending force.”

“…”

“Deeper contemplation may be in order, I think.”

Faulkner nodded with difficulty, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Understood.”

A hushed atmosphere descended.

Whether from the reprimand or not, each was hesitant to speak, wary of the others.

Ruin was no different.

‘Even so, we still have the advantage, don’t we? We might not know the precise location, but fortresses require many people to maintain…’

He kept his thoughts to himself, only processing them internally.

‘No.’

Ruin, his thoughts settled, gave a mirthless chuckle and shook his head. This was just a student lesson, after all; no grand castle would be involved, he figured.

At best, a wooden fortress. Ruin thought he was making too much of it.

He let out a long sigh and walked into the silent midst of the students, speaking in a low voice.

“We don’t have time for this. Right?”

“Green algae?”

“Hey, Histarnia Hannah. Don’t you call me ‘green algae’ either.”

“…Yes, sir.”

“So, who’s going to be the leader?”

Everyone’s gaze, lost and unfocused, flitted from one to another.

“Hey…”

Ruin ran a hand through his hair, seeing the students’ reluctance.

“It’s obvious the losing team’s gonna suffer like dogs, and you’re just standing around like this?”

“…”

“We have to win. Don’t you think so? Teacher?”

Elysia chuckled softly at Ruin’s words, holding back her comment. He was scaring people.

“Let’s decide on a leader.”

“…”

“And then we win. Honestly, you all want to give the Senior Director a taste of his own medicine, right?”

“Yeah… We’re suffering like dogs because we got tricked by the Senior Director….”

A small smile played on Ruin’s lips as he saw the students’ eyes begin to brighten, and he turned to Mikhail, ready to foist the leadership position on him, when.

“Then I’ll nominate Ruin as leader.”

Mikhail raised his hand and began to offload the annoying task onto Ruin.

Ruin gave an awkward smile and shook his head. Even so, for ‘him’ to do it felt somehow very strange.

Nevertheless.

“Me?”

All eyes were on Ruin.

Not because they trusted him.

“Haaahh…”

Hannah, letting out a languid yawn, simply couldn’t be bothered with the burden of leadership.

“Is Ricardo feeling unwell….”

Mikhail, unsettled by Ricardo’s absence today, had pawned it off on Ruin.

Ruin traded glances, a bewildered look in his eyes. Someone, say something.

“Hey, Faulkner.”

“I think Senior Ruin should do it.”

“Silvaren, you clever thing…”

“I think you’d be good at it, Senior.”

“Haa…”

The moment Ruin’s sigh seemed to sink into the earth,

-Whhhooossh!

Ruin forced a wry smile, watching the crimson stone streak across the sky.

“Just a moment.”

What is that?

Elicia spoke, a pleased smile playing on her lips.

“Students,”

She announced, pointing a finger at the fireball descending from above.

“A meteor is falling.”

*

At that same hour.

The water defense team, led by Malik, was grasping the current situation.

“So, as the magic professor said, the eight of us, including me, are the water defense team, correct?”

“Nine, including me, your instructor.”

“I see… May I ask you something?”

“Anything I can answer, I will.”

Malik, seated within the sort of castle a nobleman with a suitable title might inhabit, spoke to Hans, who wore a faint smile.

“What limitations are placed on the siege team professor?”

“Hmm… I cannot reveal the opposing team’s restrictions, but I can certainly say that they will not be using teleportation magic, at the very least.”

“Then, what is the magic instructor capable of?”

Judging that action spoke louder than words, Hans gazed into empty space and flicked his fingers.

And at that instant.

-Craaack!!!

A cerulean barrier, encompassing the entire fortress, bloomed into existence. Within its embrace, figures clad in black armor, like puppets stirred to life, began to fill the stronghold.

Hans, sensing Malik’s bewildered gaze, chuckled softly and snapped his fingers.

“My capabilities extend to enhancing the efficiency of magic – buffs, if you will – and bolstering the garrison with soldiers necessary for defense. I also wield a certain control over the barrier itself.”

“…So their side has access to similar resources, then.”

“I am unable to disclose that information.”

“Even if not buffs, they can reinforce their armies?”

Hans remained unfazed by Malik’s bait, his lips only curving into a cryptic smile.

“If Apostles cannot directly engage on the front lines…”

Malik cracked a smile, clenching his fist with newfound resolve.

“This could be manageable.”

Malik said, smiling.

“Then, the King…”

Hans nodded in response to Malik’s question.

“…Do you intend to make him into ‘Nim’?”

“Indeed.”

The King having been decided upon, Malik turned to Shuen, a silent nod passing between them.

“Unleash it.”

Obliterate the enemy ranks.