Chapter 78 : Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Yuria (5)

Artifact, the special ability of Star’s Blessing.

[Starlight].

I nearly used it in front of Department Head Allen, but it was canceled by the Dean.

This was the first time I used it in earnest.

And its performance exceeded my expectations.

‘Light.’

Was this what it felt like to emerge from water after being submerged for so long?

Time slowed, and my heightened senses pulled in every bit of information around me.

The feel of the sword in my hand, the texture of the ground under my feet.

The trembling eyes of that guy, filled with fear, flooded my vision, and his pounding heartbeat sounded as if it were right beside me.

Yes.

He was utterly terrified.

‘Is this the effect of the stat boost?’

But there was no time to marvel.

I charged at him immediately.

With my first downward slash, I created an opening, and with my second upward strike, I shattered his shoulder.

“Arghhh!”

With the final thrust, he collapsed, his chest pierced.

Right where his heart was.

“Bomed!”

The guy pressuring Yuria froze as he looked my way.

“H-How…?”

His face was a mask of shock at the overwhelming skill gap.

But he quickly resumed his fierce assault on Yuria.

It was clear he thought he couldn’t beat me, so he aimed to take Yuria down instead.

“No way that’s happening.”

Fortunately, Yuria was holding her ground calmly against him.

She was fighting intelligently, weaving magic into her moves.

“This… this annoying wench… ugh!”

The Dark cleric, Galton, twisted his body urgently as he saw me approach.

‘Too late.’

Just as I was about to slice his shoulder, I felt a gust of wind from the side.

Clang!

Another dagger hit my sword and fell to the ground.

Looking toward its source, I saw a new figure standing tall.

“Mudin!”

The cleric shouted with a face like he’d come back from the dead.

‘He arrived faster than I thought.’

That’s when I realized.

He’d deliberately fed false information through the communication ring.

This Mudin guy probably wasn’t far away to begin with.

“Are you Gerard?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, that’s me. Is throwing daggers without warning your guild’s way of saying hello?”

“Heh, I was curious about the skill that took down Sabo and Cave. This works out perfectly.”

He ignored my question.

Spouting his nonsense, he drew his sword and charged.

‘Rude bastard.’

Feeling the need for some etiquette lessons, I rushed to meet him.

“Careful, Mudin! That guy’s insanely strong! He took down Bomed!”

“Just a mere cadet…”

Mudin’s smug grin twisted into a grimace exactly three seconds later.

Swish-swish-swish!

My agility, already high, soared past 110 with [Starlight]’s buff.

There was no way a non-High cleric like him could dodge a sword swung at full speed by someone like me.

Blocking was all he could manage.

And even that was only thanks to Galton occasionally throwing daggers.

Without that, Mudin would’ve been riddled with holes by my sword already.

“Ugh… this can’t…”

It wouldn’t last long.

The tide had turned.

Mudin, running out of stamina, would soon fall to my blade.

‘Now for the rest…’

I casually turned my head.

Yuria was being pushed back, as before.

But her fighting spirit burned brighter than ever.

In fact, her momentum had grown stronger.

The one bewildered was Galton, facing her.

“This… this wretched insect keeps…!”

That’s when it happened.

A golden aura radiated from her.

‘…Is that Gaius’s Insight?’

No. Suddenly?

Caught off guard, I froze for a moment.

‘What does this mean?’

I didn’t know.

But my thief’s and gamer’s instincts screamed in unison.

‘Something’s about to happen to her.’

“Distracted? Die!”

Mudin didn’t miss my brief hesitation.

Thinking it his only chance, he charged recklessly.

But even with my eyes on Yuria, I never took my focus off him.

His surprise attack failed, and my longsword pierced straight through his throat.

He gurgled, blood bubbling, and grinned wickedly.

‘…Grinning?’

I sensed something was off.

“Now, Bomed!”

I turned to where Mudin was looking.

Bomed, the Dark cleric I thought was dead with his heart pierced, was up and running.

‘Oh no.’

That’s when I remembered one of the Dark clerics’ survival techniques I’d overlooked.

[Organ Shift], a technique that rearranged their internal organs.

Bomed, sprinting toward a pillar, held four stacked scrolls in his hand.

“We’ll die together here, heh heh heh!”

Mudin grabbed me tightly, locking his arms around me.

He turned his body into a solid restraint.

And then he died.

“…”

Time seemed to slow.

I wrestled with the decision dozens of times in my mind.

Should I use my thief powers or not?

Breaking free from this corpse’s grip was easy.

I had Daybreak.

But then what?

Should I use dagger arts?

‘To stop Bomed’s terror attack, dagger arts are my only option.’

But if I did, Yuria would surely—

“…”

I looked at Yuria.

She was looking at me, too.

Her trembling eyes stirred a whirlwind of thoughts.

I’d gone through so much to nurture her.

What would she think if she knew I was a thief?

Would she still follow me like she does now…?

I didn’t know.

But the choice I had to make was already clear.

Otherwise, we’d all be buried under the collapsing ground.

“Unbind…”

Just as Daybreak began to glow.

Flash!

A sudden, intense burst of light filled the entire room.

“Ugh.”

Using Focused Gaze to throw a dagger, I instinctively closed my eyes against the blinding light.

At that moment, I thought I heard a scream.

“Aaah…”

It was a man’s voice.

Clearly Galton’s, the one fighting Yuria.

What followed was a sharp, biting chill that seemed to cut my skin.

When I opened my eyes.

My vision was filled with massive ice blocks that had frozen half the Room of Cooperation.

“…!”

Nearby were two frozen statues.

One was Bomed, poised to tear his scrolls, and the other was Galton, who’d been fighting Yuria.

His eyes were filled with terror.

Following his gaze, I turned.

“…Yuria?”

Yuria stood frozen in the pose of swinging her sword.

“Oh. Senior?”

I almost asked if she did this but stopped myself.

It was a stupid question.

Her sword was still covered in frost, with white mist rising from it.

Even a passing dog would know who caused this.

But.

“Did you… do this?”

I couldn’t help but ask.

I was just… drawn by shock and awe.

“Uh…”

Yuria glanced at her sword, then back at me.

“I… think so.”

A stupid answer for a stupid question, I thought.

* * *

The situation was resolved when the faculty and guards arrived.

Seeing the scene transformed into an arctic wasteland, they bombarded Yuria, the culprit, with questions, but she repeated the same answer.

“I don’t know how I did it.”

“What do you mean? You did this and don’t know how?”

“I just… thought, and it happened.”

The professors wore baffled expressions at her absurd responses.

Ignoring them, I approached Yuria.

The professors’ grilling had finally stopped, and Yuria, who’d been standing there seriously, clung to me like a cat greeting its owner.

I placed a hand on her head.

“Don’t worry. A disciplinary committee will be held, but you won’t face heavy punishment.”

She looked up at me, puzzled.

“Disciplinary committee?”

“Yeah? Weren’t you standing there all serious because you were worried about that?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“I was just disappointed I can’t continue this training.”

Sometimes, she didn’t seem entirely normal either.

“Ahem. It was a one-time training anyway. More of a trial and proof than training.”

“So, the result?”

“I knew you’d pull through.”

As if she’d never been worried, a bright smile spread across Yuria’s face.

* * *

The next day.

A disciplinary committee was held for me and Yuria.

We stood side by side as the department heads, professors, and the Vice-Dean stared at us coldly.

And in the center sat the Dean, Bell Toro.

The reason for the committee was a rule violation.

More precisely, leaving the designated activity area and entering a restricted zone.

“So, you entered the training ground for training?”

I nodded at the Vice-Dean’s question.

“Yes.”

“Were the facilities in the training hall insufficient?”

“No. Under normal circumstances, the training hall’s facilities would’ve been enough.”

“So, you’re saying it wasn’t a normal circumstance?”

“Yes. Yuria was in a slump or rather, she was gradually slipping into one.”

A slump.

A common occurrence at the Academy, where the empire’s brightest compete and study, said to affect everyone at least once.

But it’s not to be taken lightly.

If not overcome, it could leave someone wallowing in self-doubt and powerlessness, unable to rise again.

“I thought a more extreme situation was needed to overcome her slump. That’s why I took Yuria to the training ground.”

“Knowing it was a restricted area?”

“Yes.”

“You too, Yuria?”

“I knew, too.”

The Vice-Dean, who’d been glaring at us, let out a hollow laugh.

“Hah. You answer so boldly, I’m at a loss for words.”

When the Vice-Dean frowned, showing his discomfort, Department Head Allen slammed the table.

“You brats! Is a slump some kind of badge of honor? You broke the rules for something like that!? You call that an excuse?”

He glared at us.

Especially at me.

His brow had been twitching for a while now.

“If a slump, something anyone can get, is above the rules, why do we have rules, regulations, or a Student Affairs Office!? Does this situation seem like a joke to you?”

Most professors nodded at Allen’s words.

So did Baron, the Student Affairs Officer.

Though his expression didn’t show it, his eyes held a stern reprimand.

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

No matter the slump, personal circumstances don’t override rules.

But a slump wasn’t some trivial cold to be brushed off lightly, either.

“It’s not trivial. Some might shake it off like dust on their clothes, but for others, it can trap them in despair and defeat, unable to escape on their own no matter how hard they try.”

Allen scoffed.

“Ridiculous. No cadet in Academy history has been expelled over a slump. Know what you’re talking about! Can’t even overcome a slump and still call yourself an Academy cadet?”

“No one’s been expelled, but some have come close.”

“What nonsense? Who is in our Academy?”

“Right in front of you. Me, Gerard. The shame of the 888th class. The worst failure of a cadet.”

Allen’s mouth shut.

Yes.

I was cleaning up my past infamy by solving various incidents.

So they might’ve forgotten.

But just a month ago, I was the lowest of the low.

“I know the terror of a slump better than anyone. That hellish time, loneliness, and struggle. No one who’s truly experienced it would speak so lightly. That’s why I pushed forward. I didn’t want Yuria, with all her talent, to walk the same path as me, wasting golden time and losing precious people, or to be called a failure.”

I paused and scanned the room.

The professors all stared at me, lips tightly shut.

No one here knew about my notorious past.

They’d all heard of it, some pitied me, some cursed me as pathetic, and others ignored me.

But.

That same guy had overcome his slump and was now causing a stir in the Academy.

“As a mentor who’s experienced failure, I did what I had to do.”

I nodded affirmatively.

Of course… it was all a lie and an act, so I felt a slight pang of guilt.

I hadn’t really been in a slump.

It was just a fake image the body’s previous owner created for convenience.

But to avoid punishment, I had to use every trick in the book.

‘At least lower the punishment level.’

Thankfully, my efforts seemed to work.

The professors’ stern gazes softened.

From “No way, absolutely not” to “Well, maybe there’s something to it.”

Especially Baron, who’d seen my situation up close, and Chaser and Ronica, who’d witnessed Yuria’s transformation firsthand, showed the most understanding.

“Don’t pull that emotional nonsense. Rule-breaking is rule-breaking.”

Of course, that guy stayed consistent.

“I was just explaining how I felt.”

“Then stop with the useless talk, kid. This is a place for facts and results only.”

“If it’s about facts and results, shouldn’t we talk about this?”

“What?”

“How we caught villains who infiltrated the Academy.”

Allen’s eyes narrowed at my cheeky response.

“Why didn’t you ask about that? From what I heard, their goal was to blow up the underground dungeon and sink the campus facilities into the ground. If it weren’t for us, it could’ve been a huge disaster, right?”

“Just the facts…”

“Oh, you said just the facts? Then I’ll correct my last statement. It wasn’t that it could’ve been a disaster—it was a disaster we ‘successfully’ prevented.”

A vein bulged on Allen’s jaw.

“Arrogant brat. Even without you, the guards would’ve stopped it. You just did what any Academy cadet should do!”

“Who knows? It might’ve exploded before the guards arrived. And that’s weird. You said to stick to facts, but now you’re talking about what the guards might’ve done—something that didn’t happen.”

“You little—”

Finally, Allen exploded.

Bang!

“Come here, you punk. I’ll rip your mouth off.”

He jumped up, ready to charge at me.

He was coming to me after I provoked him.

So I waited calmly.

No matter how much he raged, he couldn’t touch me.

Because.

“Enough, Department Head Allen.”

I had a solid shield.

“B-But, Dean!”

Allen protested, his face red.

But the Dean’s expression was resolute.

“Sit.”

In the end, Allen could only chew his lip and back down.

‘Why’s that guy so dumb?’

It seemed like that man was incapable of learning.

I provoked him because the Dean was here.

Would I have done it otherwise?

“You’re right. No matter the mistake, praise should be given where it’s due.”

Suddenly, the Dean grinned at me.

Like a child who’d found something fascinating.

“But since this is a disciplinary committee, let’s address the wrongs first.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then.”

After a pause, the Dean asked in a dignified voice.

“As the committee chair, I ask you, Gerard and Yuria. Are you fully aware of your wrongs?”

“Yes, Chair.”

“Then I will now decide your punishment.”

What would it be?

I hoped it was light.

Or at least not troublesome.

“For the next week, you will take over Librarian Bails’ duties, cleaning the Vault and handling its chores.”

At that, Allen’s smug grin faltered.

“…What? Dean? What do you mean? The Vault?”

“Is something wrong?”

Very wrong.

Allen’s expression said exactly that.

So did the other professors.

And so did I.

Of course.

It was the Vault, after all.

Only accessible four times a year.

Sure, you could enter more with awards or good grades, but the Vault itself was a special place for cadets.

And we were being allowed in for a whole week?

It was a punishment, but it didn’t feel like one—everyone in the room could sense that.

Yet no one dared to nod and call it strange.

“Librarian Bails has been unwell and needs rest. With Librarian Ged already gone due to unfortunate events, losing Bails too would leave us short-handed. This works out perfectly.”

“…”

“The period is from tomorrow to next Tuesday. I’ll inform them, so visit the Vault tomorrow afternoon.”

I nodded, dumbfounded.

My mind was a mess.

‘Is this a punishment or a reward disguised as one?’

No.

Didn’t he say there’d be a reward later?

What was going on?

Why did my head ache every time I dealt with this guy?

“And now for the reward. It’s my first time giving praise at a disciplinary committee. Heh.”

With that, I pushed my unanswered questions aside and focused.

We’d prevented a major Academy incident.

What reward would the Dean give us?

As I speculated, the Dean turned to Yuria first.

“Yuria. Do you currently have an artifact?”

Everyone’s eyes widened.

Including mine.

An artifact?

Another one?

‘…Does that mean I’ll get one too?’

I quickly straightened my slouched posture and fixed my clothes.

And quietly held my breath with anticipation.

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