Chapter 245
I had been giving the letter for the Chancellor a final look-over, but I couldn’t believe my ears.
Judging by the similar expressions on everyone else’s faces, I hadn’t misheard. Everyone had stopped what they were doing and was standing there agape, staring at Halid.
Oblivious to the horrified gazes directed at him, Halid spoke again.
“No matter what I try, I simply cannot find satisfaction.”
Only Lionel regarded Halid with a composed expression.
“What should I do?”
After listening quietly, Lionel finally answered.
“Then how do you think I feel?”
“……!”
Lionel can’t find satisfaction either?!
‘No, wait, this means….’
Though I was momentarily flustered by Halid’s sudden confession, it was dripping with potential for misunderstanding. A moment’s thought made it obvious.
‘He’s talking about sparring.’
The academy’s professors and students must have been no match for Halid.
“Having a partner helps, of course. But surely you know that isn’t all there is to it?”
As everyone stared blankly at Halid and Lionel conversing in perfect seriousness, Dantère muttered:
“What kind of nonsense is that….”
Regardless, Lionel continued.
“Once you reach a certain level, enlightenment matters above all else. You seek it through sparring, but the paths to it are far more diverse than that. One can find clues even in the everyday sight of the sun rising and setting, or in a child’s kick.”
By this point, even those who’d been misunderstanding the two men realized the actual subject of the conversation, and they sheepishly went back to their own tasks.
I, too, was about to tuck my letter away when I suddenly noticed one person still gazing in their direction.
It was none other than Vivian.
After watching Halid quietly, she turned away, and the utter absence of warmth on her face was so unfamiliar, it was surprising.
‘Vivian… why….’
But now was not the time to catch her and ask.
Nor was I certain I had the right to do so.
‘I’ll have a chance to talk to her later.’
It seemed best to pretend I hadn’t noticed until Vivian brought it up herself.
“Sasha.”
While I watched Vivian, who had already reverted to her usual self and was chatting and laughing with Ardin, Lionel gently tugged my hand.
“Let’s go in now.”
Had that cryptic exchange[1] ended to his satisfaction? A glance behind me showed Halid deep in thought.
He wasn’t about to suddenly achieve enlightenment and ascend to the heavens, was he? Or maybe a pillar of light would shoot up to the sky and he’d sprout a halo.[2]
…I’d definitely been reading too many novels.
At the appointed hour, the tower door opened of its own accord, and starting with Lionel and me, everyone filed inside.
The brilliantly plumed parrot I’d seen during the day surveyed each person gathered inside, then addressed Lionel.
“Welcome, Duke Luanax. Shall we depart?”
The talking parrot was still amazing, even seeing it a second time!
‘Vivian’s probably seeing it for the first time too, right?’
I stole a glance and found her face just as flushed with excitement, drinking in the parrot and the tower’s interior panorama.
‘I wish someone would write an academy story.’[3]
Rivals-to-lovers between the top and second-ranked students, a quest to find the male lead, a coming-of-age tale. Anything would be fine, as long as it was rated 19+.
“I would appreciate it.”
“All right, I’ll guide you then.”
The parrot fluttered into the air and began moving books on the shelves. I could vaguely sense that the types and order of books differed from when we’d traveled to the Chancellor’s office.
And a moment later…
Along with the now-familiar swell of nausea, I felt as though my body was sinking downward. Lionel caught me firmly and held me steady.
When my vision cleared, we were standing in what looked like a vast, imposing underground temple.
Beneath our feet was an enormous magic circle densely inscribed with symbols so complex they made my eyes spin. The atmosphere was one where it wouldn’t have been strange for a dark sorcerer to appear, offer us as sacrifices, and summon a demon lord.
Of course, nothing of the sort happened, and instead of a dark sorcerer, the Chancellor was waiting for us.
“Welcome, all of you. I see many familiar faces.”
I could feel the Chancellor’s gaze sweep over each of us in turn.
I was fairly sure Dantère had just ducked behind Halid,but even so, he was still completely visible.
While Halid was certainly large, Dantère, with the insane stamina befitting someone who did that day and night, was just as tall and well-built as your average knight.
In other words, his was not the kind of presence that disappeared simply by hiding behind someone else.
Translation Notes
[1] ↩
[2] ↩
[3] ↩
