HTACS 28

Chapter 28

Mana is influenced by strong will.

And a mage with strong will is capable of dominating the surrounding mana.

If so, how much suffering must have been needed for the faint wills of first-years to dominate mana and achieve their desires?

They don’t want to give up, but Zephrin is ultimately a training institution for the best talents—and some are bound to fall away.

That weak, tender heart gathered together, dominated the mana of the atmosphere, and became a single wish.

‘I want to graduate.’

‘I want to stay in school.’

‘I don’t want to give up.’

The resentment of those already eliminated. I felt so many emotions while playing Act 1.

Kelterus, whose roommate had withdrawn, yet still gripped his sword and swore to move forward into the future—

Eve, who raised the flag of rebellion against the former student council president’s tyranny and took office, but upon learning that her first incident was a ghost commotion born from the first-years’ fears, could do nothing.

Kelterus, with mere stats of 15, accomplished what Eve—with stats of 22—could not, through strength of heart, and Eve, as a result, realized that stats aren’t everything and became a slightly bigger person.

That touching 1-1 story—

[Doctorate… Certificate… Graduation… Me too, freshman…]

Unfortunately, a graduate student who had been loitering near the first-year dormitory resonated with that mana, transforming it into something utterly horrifying.

“Oh, fuck.”

The freshmen’s resentment had long since disappeared, and all that mana had been devoured by the graduate student’s hatred and rage, now wandering the hall.

“…It’s like ‘the sadness of training cadets who were discharged early can’t possibly surpass the wailing of a hardened non-commissioned officer,’ I suppose.”

I looked at that ghost—more precisely, at Zolf, who was wandering unconscious, surrounded by black mana—and nodded.

No matter how much sadness and hatred of first-years piled up, at the end of the day it was just first-year resentment. But now it had become a completely different monster. I didn’t want to face it either.

“If something like that appeared in Act 1 when I was playing the game, I would’ve quit.”

—

But as I said that, this is reality, so I can’t just say “Ah, this buggy game is broken, I’m out. Dev, quit developing and go load boxes instead.”

In the end, Nephti and Eve would face that graduate student. Not just a vengeful spirit crying about graduation and theses—or a possessed being? Whatever it was, something similar. The face was obscured by wriggling black mana, and behind it, something black and squishy like tentacles squirmed—an absolutely stunning visual.

A frail scholar’s body crawling with horrifying black mud maggots. And to make it worse, that black was glossy. Oh shit.

That thing was black, terrifying, dreadful, and grotesque.

So I’m worried about how Nephti and Eve would handle that, but still, they’re the Knight of Conviction and the Princess of Light—they’ll manage somehow.

For reference, I’ve decided on my course of action.

Stamina 2 Wolfram will simply watch!

Fighting!

While silently cheering for Eve and Nephti’s victory in my heart, the main actors appeared on stage one by one.

Footsteps descending from the stairs.

The freshman waiting in the hall—no, the graduate student’s vengeful spirit.

[Wh-what is that?]

[…Tch. That must be the ghost’s true form. Nephti! Prepare for battle. We’ll protect the academy here!]

Oh.

The line “We’ll protect the academy” was always the opening chant Eve used when entering boss battles on her route. That’s why Eve’s nickname was “The Reliable One Who Always Protects the Academy”—and now I’m hearing it live.

[Graduation… G R A D U A T I O N!!]

And so.

The vengeful spirit howled, and the battle began.

—

“…G R A D U A T I O N!!”

Five streams of horrific darkness flew toward them.

Nephti immediately realized what she needed to do, and faster than the black streams, she moved to block Eve’s path.

“I’ll block it! 【Protective Formation: Circular Response】”

“No. That won’t be necessary.”

“Huh?”

Eve von Lohengrin’s mana color is Light.

Light magic has various characteristics. It’s strong against demon-kind, it adapts easily, among other things—but if I had to pick two combat features of light magic, they’d be:

First—it has fast incantation.

Second—it has wide range.

【Light Spear: Rapid Fire: Counter Shooting】

With just a snap of her fingers, she could manifest magic faster than even Aila Triesta.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

“This is my first time seeing something like this. I wonder if I was even needed.”

Exactly five times. The streams of light and darkness clashed, and Nephti clicked her tongue in amazement.

【Light Spear: Single Shot: Penetration Enhancement】

Once again, Eve snapped her fingers, and a spear of light brimming with power materialized behind her—and fired before the black thing could even react.

It reacted after being fired. It did its best to block the light spear, but it was no match.

Crack. Crack. Crumble.

Piercing through layer upon layer of black mana, the light spear advanced without stopping—just like Eve von Lohengrin’s own path, without a shred of hesitation in destroying evil.

The black silhouette convulsed violently, and the darkness covering its face collapsed.

“G-Gaaaaah!”

It howled in pain, but Eve walked forward without a hint of pity to confirm the identity of the silhouette.

“Let me see the audacious face that dared intrude into the common dormitory. Who are you?”

Within the collapsed darkness, a human face was visible.

Haggard, dark circles under the eyes—yet somehow gentle, somehow kind, somehow pitiful.

Eve recognized this person.

She hadn’t spoken with him often, but she was also someone who occasionally showed her face at the graduate school building.

A 9th-year graduate student pursuing his doctorate under Grace. A perpetual senior.

One of the most pitiful figures in the academy.

The ever-senior Zolf. It was him.

“Zolf… Senior?!”

“Ugh, UGHHHH!! WAAAAAAAH!!!”

The moment Eve faltered, the darkness convulsed once more and struck her.

“Lady Eve! 【Protective Formation: Self-Sacrifice for Gratitude】!”

“Kyaaah?!”

—

“…Hmm, what now.”

I quietly watched the battle from behind.

Eve had confirmed who Zolf was, hesitated for a moment, and Zolf struck her.

Regardless of her overwhelming mana, Eve was only sixteen, and how much real combat experience could she have?

“I thought since it wasn’t a first-year vengeful spirit, she might handle it cleanly—but a second-year is still a second-year. If this is historical accuracy, then I suppose it’s accurate.”

In the original D/Z SAGA, the students Kelterus recruits as allies have characteristics unique to each grade.

The higher the grade, the better their combat AI.

First-years will put up magic attack enhancement and then fire status-effect spells instead of damage skills—but as the grade goes up, such errors decrease dramatically.

Without this, there’d be no reason to put older seniors in the party. You could just recruit cheap first-years and run them to the ending.

Anyway—whether it’s balance or historical accuracy.

First-year Kelterus was reckless, second-year Eve was fierce but inexperienced, third-year Aila had no openings, Nephti was like an iron wall, and by the time you get to Rudika, she’s a specialist.

So Eve, after recognizing Zolf, was momentarily flustered and allowed a surprise attack. Nephti stepped in with Self-Sacrifice for Gratitude, but she was just a bit too late.

“Eve’s unconscious, and Nephti’s focusing on defense because her protection was delayed.”

The loud crash was probably the sound of Eve being sent flying—and she seemed to have been knocked out just like that. She has a stamina stat of around 12, so being knocked back into a wall and stunned wouldn’t seriously injure her—but this world is reality, not a game.

In a stunned state, a single attack could be genuinely dangerous.

That’s why I had Nephti assist her, but since it happened so suddenly, her protective formation was also late, and she couldn’t fully commit to defense either.

Look—even now, she’s just desperately slashing at that darkness.

Snap.

[…Ugh. My longsword broke. Ugh, ugh. I should have prepared a more expensive longsword. Tch. 【Iron Fist Protection: Steelization】!]

…No.

Judging by the sound of Nephti’s longsword snapping in half just now, it seems even Nephti is having difficulty standing guard over Eve. Target-specific protective formations have vastly different defense capabilities compared to counter-attack skills like Iron Fist Protection.

“Well, this is genuinely troublesome.”

Should I step in?

But what could I even do if I did? Block for two seconds and die a glorious death?

As I deliberated for just a moment—

[…That’s enough!]

A crimson-haired boy’s roar echoed through the entire hall.

This voice.

How could I forget it.

The Hero of Light. The greatest sword in Zephrin’s history.

“…Kelterus?”

It was the first moment the protagonist revealed himself before me.

—

The crimson-haired boy, Kelterus.

A true hero who always smiled brightly and gave courage to those around him.

Ever since getting thoroughly crushed by Aila, he seemed to have become somewhat of a neglected figure among the first-years, and he hadn’t even caught the attention of Eve—the heroine among heroines—so I felt a bit sorry for him. But now I could finally see that Hero of Light with my own eyes.

A longsword at his waist, eyes full of hope fixed on the enemy.

A social butterfly whose sword held no hesitation. A popular master who, when forming a party, was almost never refused.

And there he stood, drawing his longsword with one hand, confronting a dark, damp graduate student soaked in hatred and rage.

“Not exactly the sight I wanted to see.”

The contrast was so stark that Zolf looked pitiful enough to make me cry.

[…Junior Coolpiss. Step back!]

[…It’s Kelterus, Senior. Anyway, I’ll hold them off here, so please take the student council president and retreat!]

“Truly a heroic demeanor. The Hero of Light. Kelterus.”

If the hero of light defeated that graduate student and awakened just like this, that wouldn’t be bad for me either. Yes. Finish him off. Take him down!

[Come at me, monster! I, the top first-year Kelterus, swear on my honor to stop you!]

[…T-top first-year?]

[That’s right. No matter who you are, I swear on the honor of our cadet corps—I will protect everyone!]

[You… you brat.]

[…What?]

[…You FUCKING BRAT!!! How DARE you!! The ink on the honor roll isn’t even dry, you little SHIT!!]

[Wha— AAAAAH?!]

What I saw immediately after was the graduate student’s black current forming into a massive fist that sent Kelterus flying.

The confident Kelterus, who had just stood to guard Nephti, soon became Eve mk.2—and went *thump*—knocked out cold.

And naturally, Nephti’s burden grew even heavier.

[Oh, seriously. What is wrong with this junior?! Urgh. Eeeeek!! 【Iron Fist Protection: Steelization: Area Expansion】!]

“Did that idiot just flaunt his freshman pride in front of a graduate student filled with jealousy and hatred?”

Holding my throbbing head, I let out a deep sigh.

This is truly—unavoidable.

Wolfram von Lohengrin. I decided to live for myself, but I know that when it’s time to step forward, I must step forward.

Even if I die two seconds later—I can use the fact that I gave him free doughnuts as leverage to beg for my life somehow… Eve will wake up, and with mana 22, she’ll probably skewer him with a light spear.

My legs are trembling and my fists are sweaty—but still.

*Creeeak.*

Without stopping, I opened the door to the clear room and spoke to the thing.

“Zolf.”

“Urgh?”

“Wolfram-nim?!”

“Nephti. I’ll explain later. Zolf. Do you remember me?”

I don’t want to explain now and draw Zolf’s attention, only to get punched and sent flying all the way to the front of the convenience store.

“Zolf. Answer me.”

“Wh-who… U-uh? Wolf-ram-nim?”

“Yeah. It’s me—Wolfram von Lohengrin, the one you come to every morning for fish soup, sharing stories about life, encouraging each other to get through the day, and sharing doughnuts.”

So you’re not going to throw the first punch, right? You won’t, right? We pinky-swore we wouldn’t do that bad thing to each other. Break it and your hand gets chopped off.

“…A-ah. Aaah. Ahhh… W-Wolfram-nim. I, I… ugh.”

“Yeah. It’s Wolfram.”

Thankfully—Zolf didn’t seem to be planning to strike me immediately.

Now, what kind of conversation do we have?

How do I negotiate with the boss in front of me?

Just as I thought that—

A single message window appeared before my eyes.

**【Imperial Bloodline】** skill is activated.

**【Negotiation with Enemy】** gains the upper hand.

**【Comparing the bloodline of the opponent and oneself.】**

**【Wolfram von Lohengrin’s】** bloodline is overwhelmingly superior!

**【Positive effects are activated for all negotiations!】**

Ah.

Come to think of it.

I had this skill.