Chapter 80 : Chapter 80

Chapter 80: The Dean, Bell Toro's Purpose

The week passed by in a flash.

If I had to summarize that time in one sentence, it would be this.

A life like a squirrel on a wheel.

An infinite loop of dormitory, lectures, and the Vault.

But that didn't mean it was boring.

Since I had the key to the main entrance, Yuria and I had no choice but to stick together all the time, and I got to hear a lot from Yuria.

Most of it was trivial, but some of it could be important information for me.

A prime example was talking about Ivan.

Conversations about Ivan were extremely important information for me.

Why?

Because I was in a position where I had to monitor every move Ivan made.

Ivan was the protagonist destined to bring down the Beltus Cult, the dark force of this world.

Whether he had grown as strong as in the original or weaker.

If stronger, by how much, and if weaker, how to make him stronger.

I had to watch over him from behind and nurture him so he could topple the cult, maintaining a sort of supporter position.

Just a supporter?

I also had to keep him in check.

As the judge of evil, he was the one who would most directly influence my death flag in the future.

So, while keeping a certain distance, I needed to periodically check Ivan's status and growth rate.

“You said he's been obsessively focused on sword training right now.”

Ivan had talent in swords, but he was also a product of effort.

In ‘Heroes of Frey,’ the system demanded periodic training (disguised as mini-games) from the player, and each time, Ivan achieved insane growth.

“And soon, that potential is about to explode.”

Midterm evaluation.

That was the starting point when the name Ivan began to spread across the continent.

If Ivan was the top person to watch, the next was Rachel.

In a way, she was the most annoying person in the Academy right now, and though she hadn't directly harmed me yet, her constant presence was nagging at me.

Rachel's mission was to corrupt cadets into the cult's dogs.

Naturally, the class targeted most heavily for brainwashing was the 890th.

Not only accessibility but also because they were young, inexperienced, and hadn't fully received the Academy's mental education, making them easiest to dye.

Especially kids from commoner backgrounds without strong backing were easy targets for desires, her main demographic.

In the original, Ivan was the top brainwashing target.

But from what Yuria said, Yuria seemed to rank just as high as Ivan.

She was quite clingy.

Still, there hadn't been any direct actions yet.

‘I’m also curious about that top-secret information I heard back then. When will she contact me again.’

Thus, conversing with Yuria was an incredibly important task for me.

In a way, Yuria was already acting as my informant without knowing it, and though I felt a slight pang of conscience, that was it.

‘Yuria is my right arm.’

In my mind, it was already settled that way.

As soon as we entered the Vault, as if waiting, we stopped talking and headed to our respective spots.

Our respective spots meant the bookshelves where the Secret Tomes we needed were shelved.

Yuria to the Magic section, and me to the opposite, swordsmanship.

The two swordsmanship I learned over the week were ‘Royal Swordsmanship Latter Part’ and

‘Dual Illusion Sword.’

Dual Illusion Sword.

A type of Illusion Sword that pursued change, the most representative sword known as the first to come to mind when thinking of Illusion Swords, and when mastered to the extreme, it was said to create the illusion of facing two opponents.

Its origin was from the long-destroyed kingdom of Barda during the continental war.

At the time, the Kingdom of Barda was a colony of the Naimus Empire, and the only knight order that faced off against the elite Northern Knights of the Frey Empire without being pushed back

was the Barda Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Barda.

The Dual Illusion Sword was the main swordsmanship of the Barda Royal Guard.

There were several reasons I chose this.

“First, it suits me well.”

Changeable Illusion Swords were fundamentally most influenced by agility.

Also, due to its nature, Illusion Sword was not easy to learn, so very few people had learned it, which in reverse meant few swordsmen properly knew how to counter Illusion Swords.

That became a significant strength.

From the start, Illusion Sword was hard to read the sword path, so anyone using cold weapons basically disliked facing it.

“And it has good synergy with Dagger Arts too. If fully mastered, it can be utilized in multiple ways.”

But the most representative reason I chose Dual Illusion Sword was that, like Royal Swordsmanship, there was a next step.

Triple Illusion Sword.

Furthermore, the ‘Quintuple Illusion Sword,’ belonging to the extreme secret visions, was sleeping underground in ‘Artera Fortress,’ which was once the territory of the Kingdom of Barda but now land of the Naimus Empire.

‘It’s not for nothing that the Barda Royal Guard was the only one to stand equal against the supposedly strong Northern Knights.’

On the other hand, ‘Royal Swordsmanship Latter Part’ was more for information acquisition than for my use.

I’d eventually face the empire’s knights, so consider it insurance for them.

So, I reduced my sleep to practice and made Dual Illusion Sword my own, and finally achieved satisfactory results.

“You worked hard managing the storage room.”

The last day.

The librarian Bails looked at us and said flatly.

“Worked hard? You must have suffered because of us, librarian.”

“No. You two definitely helped me.”

In what way did we help?

We did clean periodically, but I didn’t remember giving any other notable help.

If anything, we were probably disturbed by bustling around.

I wanted to ask, but Bails had already taken the main entrance key I gave him and was closing the Vault’s main door.

Thud!

“He’s businesslike to the end.”

“Yeah.”

But I thought that personality suited the role of Vault manager.

“How was it?”

“It was good.”

I smiled and asked back.

“You?”

The corners of Yuria’s lips, looking at me, slightly lifted.

“Me too. It was a very precious time.”

Then that’s good.

As if we had planned it, we simultaneously started walking toward the dormitory building.

Suddenly, whoosh, a cool night breeze passed between us.

Maybe because we’d been indoors for so long.

The fresh air felt like it was washing away the stuffiness inside, naturally lifting my mood.

Yuria caught her disheveled hair in the wind and tucked it behind her ear.

With her hands behind her back and eyes slightly downcast, she carefully asked the question she always asked around this time.

“Senior, what are you going to do now?”

“What are you asking? You know. I have to apply for night training.”

“Today too?”

“Of course. Is today any different?”

A faint sigh reached my ears.

“You really don’t rest, Senior.”

I just replaced my answer with a bitter smile.

“Sometimes. When I look at you, Senior, you seem like someone being chased by something.”

“Where?”

“I can’t pinpoint exactly, but overall.”

“Is that so? I don’t know.”

“At first, I thought it was because you’re an Academy cadet. This is the Academy after all. Everyone works hard, everyone craves recognition. So I thought it was natural. But…… you’re a bit different, Senior.”

I turned my head to look at Yuria.

“Want me to be honest?”

“Tell me. I’m curious.”

“It looks more like desperation than effort. Sometimes like struggling to break free…….”

Yuria glanced at me once and finished her words.

I had a rough idea, so it didn’t hit hard. I must have been expressionless, but that seemed to prick Yuria’s heart instead.

“Actually, I’ve been curious. What your dream is, Senior. Why do you go to such lengths.”

I’d never once told Yuria what my goal was.

Not just Yuria.

Baron Tesda, Professor Ilai.

They were people I considered close.

None of them knew why I, Gerard, entered the Academy, or what ambitions, dreams, goals I aimed to achieve.

‘It might feel like a disconnect to them.’

It would be hard to understand why I went to such lengths.

Of course, I couldn’t answer ‘Yeah. I’m desperately trying not to die,’ so I decided to give a roughly appropriate excuse.

“I lost two years, so I’m way behind my peers. Maybe that’s why. I don’t really have a dream or anything.”

“Really? No dream?”

“Yeah. The reason I entered the Academy was just to live better than others. Now, ‘much’ is added to that? Yeah. If I had to say, that would be my dream. Living much better and much more comfortably than others.”

As I made the excuse, it wasn’t much different from Yuria.

“……We’re the same?”

“The lack of deep thoughts?”

“Hmm. Yeah.”

We both burst into giggles at the same time.

“So, about that. I think I can help with your dream. I’m good at eating better than others.”

“That’s true.”

“So, let’s play today.”

“……What? What’s the connection between you eating well and playing today?”

The disjointed conversation made me chuckle involuntarily.

I just felt good.

The light night breeze, the somewhat bland air, this path walked without worries.

Yuria beside me too.

Everything blended together.

“Hmm.”

Then I seriously pondered.

Since coming here, had I ever slept more than three hours, deeply without worries?

Except for passing out after drinking the Elixir ‘Fierce Conviction’ during Karina’s time, it seemed not.

“Then maybe I should really rest deeply today.”

Yuria’s head next to me moved at an incredible speed.

……You’ll snap your neck, hey.

“But what to do while resting?”

“In my opinion! We can walk like this and then go to our rooms and sleep comfortably…….”

“Ah! How about we play swordsmanship while resting? Yeah. That sounds good. It’s been a while; let’s see how much you’ve improved.”

“……Sigh.”

Somehow, Yuria’s sigh sounded louder than before.

* * *

I headed to the Dean’s office at the appointed time.

As I got closer to the Dean’s office, I started to wonder whether the sound echoing in the corridor was from my heart or my footsteps.

I was that tense.

This time, I intended to ask.

To the Dean, why was he pushing me this much?

I’d pondered a lot about that man, Bell Toro.

The favors the Dean had shown me.

They were focused on me to the point of feeling biased.

Of course, they weren’t all unjust or free.

They were expressions of gratitude for saving the Academy, legitimate rewards.

But there was a limit to everything.

If the one who resolved the past crises had been Ivan instead of me, would he have given such rewards?

Giving artifacts, actively helping with Yuria’s career path, protecting from hostile professors, giving this non-punishment punishment?

‘No.’

I could be sure.

Even in ‘Heroes of Frey,’ Ivan had resolved numerous crises for the Academy from his cadet days.

But in that process, Ivan received nothing from the Dean.

Even meetings were maybe three times?

‘Compared to that, how many times for me?’

It seemed like at least five.

Anyway.

So today, I intended to ask directly.

No matter how much I pondered, I couldn’t figure it out.

The reason he kept supporting me unknowingly, and what his ulterior motive was.

When you don’t know the reason, the best is to charge straight in.

Thus, arriving at the Dean’s office.

I took a deep breath and lightly knocked on the door.

Knock knock!

[Come in]

Inside were the Dean and the Vice-Dean.

Perhaps they had been discussing something serious, as the atmosphere felt somewhat frozen.

‘Timing sucks.’

I didn’t like that the Vice-Dean was there too.

Still, I decided to proceed anyway.

Who knew when I’d meet the Dean again.

“Sit.”

As soon as I sat on the sofa, the Dean looked at me and asked.

“How was it? Did you reflect a lot?”

Reflect.

I did a lot.

When I nodded, he smiled lightly.

“Good. I’d like to hear what reflections you had, but no time, so let’s skip it. Be careful not to have such incidents next time.”

“Yes.”

“Alright, then.”

The Dean took out a paper envelope from below and placed it on the table.

It resembled a scene from a gangster movie.

As if the paper envelope contained bundles of bills or drugs.

But I knew what was inside.

An artifact.

Still, this time he didn’t send it carelessly by parcel.

“Take it. Deliver Yuria’s directly to her.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you for what. You two deserve these artifacts. Rather, we’re grateful. Right, Vice-Dean?”

Instead of answering, the Vice-Dean shook his head with a face like he couldn’t stop him.

I took the paper envelope.

It was so light I could barely feel the weight.

I wanted to open the envelope right away and check the contents, but I postponed it.

Seeing that, the Dean cast a puzzled glance.

“Hmm? You look like you have something to say?”

I set the paper envelope aside.

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you helping me?”

At the same time, laughter loud enough to shake the Dean’s office burst out.

“Puhahahaha!”

I just watched him laugh quietly.

After a moment, he stopped laughing abruptly and met my eyes.

His smooth eye corners, without a wrinkle, curved playfully as if discovering an amusing toy.

“You think I’m helping you?”

“Will you deny it? There are too many examples to deny.”

The Dean didn’t deny it.

Far from denying, he subtly asked the Vice-Dean.

“Was it obvious, Karad?”

“Very obvious. Actually, giving Vault volunteering as punishment still seems over the top even now.”

“Hmm. Actually, I thought ‘oops’ the next day too.”

But contrary to his words, his expression was nonchalant, as if talking about someone else.

The Dean, having laughed it off, turned his head toward me and asked.

“So. Do you dislike it?”

“I don’t dislike it, but it is burdensome.”

“Burdensome, huh. I see. I hadn’t thought of it that way. Indeed, receiving help from someone without knowing why could feel uneasy?”

“…….”

“Yeah. The reason is…… I see potential in you.”

Potential?

“The potential I’m looking for, you could say? Know it as that for now. How’s that, does it answer?”

No.

Not at all.

“Leave.”

In the end, I had no choice but to leave the Dean’s office with even greater suspicions.

I see potential?

What potential?

The potential to succeed as an outstanding knight?

Or the discernment that discovered the talent of a Magic Swordsman in Yuria?

The latter was more likely.

Because there were plenty of promising knight materials here.

“Discernment…….”

The trait, [Gaius’s Insight] came to mind.

A trait even I, an old-timer, saw for the first time.

I thought the Dean might know the secret and origin of this.

The great thief, Ian Gaius and Shadow.

And the hidden story of the ‘Fall of the Moon’ that happened 10 years ago.

Anyway, the conversation just now wasn’t entirely fruitless.

I confirmed that his support and help were real.

Whatever the reason, the fact was that having the Dean backing me while active in the Academy was the most reliable and safe support.

There were still suspicious points, but good is good.

For now, making the most of his help would be best.

Organising my thoughts that way, I opened the paper envelope the Dean gave me.

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