HTACS 91

Chapter 91

A few days later. At the convenience store.

Ayla was crumpled.

“Ughhh…”

Well, “crumpled” might be a strange way to put it, but anyway, she had her face buried on the table, lost in thought.

Hmm. She doesn’t usually agonize like this. She’s such a bright person.

Anyway, there must be a good reason for such deep worry.

Ah, don’t tell me…

“Ayla.”

“Yesss…”

“Did monsters appear in the mines again? Or is there a problem with the Trista family’s finances?”

“No… It’s not such a trivial problem. We’re making more money.”

“Such a trivial problem,” she says.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Ughhh… How can I raise my mana?”

Aha.

It was a more serious problem than I thought.

Even in historical records, there’s no mention of anyone raising their mana stat.

What’s known to the world is that mana is a matter of talent—a stat given by heaven that you grow with.

Even by my standards, knowing all the hidden secrets, ways to raise mana only appear after the mid-game.

They come as rewards from clearing trials prepared by the First Emperor.

Those trials are truly deadly, but it’s not entirely impossible.

How difficult are they?

“Don’t we have until next year?”

“That’s true, but…”

Even I wouldn’t want to challenge that this year.

Hmm. But it seems like a serious matter to Ayla.

“If it’s deadly difficult, I can challenge it. But what bothers me is that there’s no history and no clues.”

“Ah. So that’s the issue.”

The fact that no one has raised their mana stat in the past 300 years doesn’t seem to suit Ayla’s temperament.

“Isn’t finding those clues itself a rebellion?”

“…That’s an adventure, isn’t it?”

“…Are they different?”

“They’re different. Rebellion is clearly about surpassing a high goal—it’s not about exploring a complete unknown. If I had even a hint of a clue, it could be a rebellion, but…”

I see. They’re different.

How complicated.

“Wolfram is doing both adventure and rebellion, so you must have been confused. It can’t be helped.”

“There are clues.”

“R-really?!”

*Thump!* Ayla shot up from her seat. Her eyes wide and sparkling, she looked at me.

“It’s also true that no one has found them in the past 300 years. Don’t get your hopes up too much.”

“C-can you tell me what they are?”

“The ancestor of magic is the dragon. Apart from the great First Emperor, no one can match a dragon in magic.”

“…Aren’t dragons mythical creatures?”

“The imperial library briefly contains records of the purpose and creation of Zefflin. And among them are records written in the great First Emperor’s own hand. That’s how I found out about Patrasche and the Fairy’s Paradise.”

“Ah. Then in there, could it be…”

Strictly speaking, it’s not a lie.

In the original, Eve discovers that and takes a step closer to Zefflin’s secret.

“Hmm. In the center of the desert region, there is a Blue Dragon, guarding that land by the great First Emperor’s command.”

“Wow… And?”

Like a child listening to an adult’s adventure story, Ayla’s eyes sparkled.

In the original, I think the text went something like this:

“Cross the desert with a legitimate descendant, following the dragon’s legend. At the desert’s end lies the Blue Dragon’s lair—seek her and request a trial. Break through, and you shall obtain what you desire.”

“……Wow! Rebellion!”

I’m not sure where in what I just said the word “rebellion” appeared, but Ayla’s eyes shone brightly. She clenched both fists under her chin and shook them up and down, smiling gleefully.

“Anyway, interpreting this story—”

“In the desert there’s a dragon, and as the First Emperor’s consideration requires you to go with an imperial family member. If you meet that dragon, request a trial, and surpass it, the dragon will grant your wish. Right?”

“……Right.”

She’s smarter than I thought.

“So it’s rebellion!”

She’s not as smart as I thought.

“Can you explain?”

“The desert is extremely hot, tough, and hard to cross, right? And you have to complete the whole journey?”

“Right.”

“But this adventure requires a legitimate imperial family member, doesn’t it? And you have to overcome the trial together with that bloodline?”

“…Hmm. Correct.”

“So the bloodline I need to go with—there’s only one person in this academy!”

Her words are correct.

I also hoped Ayla and Eve would party up and go.

“Right, Eve—”

“It’s Wolfram!”

“……?”

How did you reach that conclusion?

What’s the basis for your judgment?

“Wouldn’t Eve have a higher chance of success?”

“I’ve never once done a rebellion by calculating odds!”

“……”

“Wolfram. I want to do it with you! Both adventure and rebellion! That’s my conviction!”

“Ah, I see.”

What a helpful conviction!

“Walking that difficult path together—the trial—that’s rebellion!”

After saying that, Ayla hesitated for a moment and asked.

“…You’ll come with me, right?”

“Hmm.”

Considering the dragon trial opens around mid-Act 5 in the story, there’s time.

“It’s not difficult.”

“Thank you, Wolfram!”

Before that, I need to strengthen Ayla Trista first.

I have no idea how Act 3 will unfold if Ayla isn’t the boss, but there are many things to do beforehand.

“First, I need to raise my stats.”

“Wolfram’s stats?”

“Hmm. I need to learn additional skills. And if my stats are low, disadvantages will eventually show.”

“That’s true. Our Peep-peep also overcame her stats with Half-Berserk.”

“Hmm. So I should also prepare to raise a few stats soon.”

“As expected, it’s stamina, right?”

No.

Not that.

I doubt that’ll even go up.

—

Around the same time, Mille-feuille von Sabre was taking the top student exam.

‘The written exam isn’t as hard as I thought.’

To be honest, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the top student position was practically pre-decided.

Eve von Lohengrin had almost specifically pointed her out.

So the written exam wasn’t made too difficult.

Of course, that’s just the professors’ misconception—Eve von Lohengrin didn’t really care whether Mille-feuille became top student or not… but overlapping misunderstandings and favors made Mille-feuille’s written exam easier than expected.

‘As expected, the pen Senior gave me has a miracle in it. Maybe it makes me smarter?’

Of course, Mille-feuille also didn’t know the truth, so she imagined that the black pen in her hand and the remaining 14-colored pens neatly placed in her pencil case were blessed by Wolfram von Lohengrin—but since no one was harmed, it didn’t matter.

“I’ve finished all the written questions.”

“Yes, good. Then it’s time for the practical. You know the rules, right?”

“Yes.”

Mille-feuille knew this professor well.

‘He was the professor from my first spar with Kelterus-kun. I’m sure he was in charge of basic defense lectures.’

Back then, he clearly favored Kelterus, but now he speaks to her with politeness.

The treatment had clearly changed.

Mille-feuille knew that wasn’t simply because she had done well.

No—leaving her own efforts aside, getting the alias 【Iron Fist】 and taking the top student exam was all because of Senior Wolfram.

So she briefly felt bewildered by this treatment, then stopped trying to figure out its true nature.

Because no matter how others’ attitudes changed, what she had to do never changed.

Heading to the training hall, Mille-feuille wore the ‘Cartridge-Type Peep Punch Mark 2 Founder’s Edition’ on both fists.

It was lighter than before, could auto-recharge up to three shots, and put less strain on her joints.

“That’s the weapon His Highness the Prince made, isn’t it? Truly an amazing item.”

“…Yes. I think so too. Hehe.”

Ignoring the professor’s intention to curry favor by flattering Wolfram von Lohengrin, Mille-feuille answered honestly.

As she warmed up in the training hall, a question occurred to her.

“Professor, who’s my practical opponent?”

“A friend who’s taking the top student exam with you. Ah, here they come now.”

Looking where the professor pointed, a red-haired boy was walking toward her.

How could she forget that face?

Her life had started to change when she defeated him.

“Kelterus-kun.”

“…Hello, Sabre-san.”

His eyes were slightly cloudier than before. His voice lower.

Mille-feuille flinched.

When she won before, it was really by luck.

She had happened to learn how to defeat a magic swordsman, and without Wolfram’s precise guidance, she probably would have lost.

“So my opponent is Kelterus-kun.”

“Yeah. This time… I won’t lose.”

His momentum made her body tremble slightly.

But it didn’t matter. She bit into the special snack Senior had hidden in her back teeth.

“Yeah. As expected, it’s the best taste. With Senior’s cooking, I can find my strength.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ignoring Kelterus’s question, Mille-feuille shook her head.

When she ate Senior’s snacks, she involuntarily muttered reviews like that. It was probably pure emotion—Senior’s cooking moved everyone.

“Ah, sorry. I was just rambling for a moment.”

“You’re not nervous?”

“No.”

“……Huh?”

“There’s no reason to be nervous.”

Uncharacteristically, Mille-feuille stated it clearly.

But it was the truth.

Mille-feuille loaded the cartridge, feeling the four buffs—Half-Berserk, minor agility boost, concentration enhancement, and powerful strike—take effect, and pulled her fist toward her body, speaking quietly.

“Once you’ve overcome something, it’s no longer an obstacle.”

“What?”

“Since I’ve overcome Kelterus-kun once, tripping again here wouldn’t allow me to move forward.”

“Right. I see. Yeah. I’ll fight you seriously.”

“Yes.”

And so, the spar for the first-year top student position began with Mille-feuille’s calm yet unmistakable words and her unwavering steps.

—

Leaving Ayla behind as she went off with an “Ehe!”, I began scribbling something in my notebook.

“The Dragon’s Trial.”

To be honest, it’s insanely tough. I even wrote “Do it on your second playthrough” in my strategy guide.

But the desert is far, and there’s no rush. Strictly speaking, I’m not at a second-playthrough level anyway.

With proper equipment, resistance and immunity setups, crafting bombs and potions—would it take about half a year?

“I absolutely need to learn skills in the meantime.”

It’s not just about the promise with Ayla.

Honestly, Stamina 2 is way too low, and my other stats are practically cursed.

No matter how much I rely on skills and the authority of being imperial family, low stats mean I could be in danger at any time.

“The Act 2 boss will appear soon. I’ll let that thing handle itself, then take the rewards.”

The best way to obtain additional skills or stats is still soloing.

Not opening new maps or pulling items with skills—clearing each act’s boss fight.

“It’s doable.”

Just like when I defeated Zolf and got the beginner set, taking the Act 2 boss’s rewards might result in a surprisingly quick power-up.

“The Act 2 boss is a attention-seeker. A Black Flag executive… Hmm. There are too many variables.”

The conditions that were always met back then were: Kelterus as ‘grade top student,’ Eve as ‘student council president,’ Regina as ‘magic merchant,’ and Isolde as ‘jewel sword.’

Here, Kelterus is at the center of the grade, Eve is both imperial family and student council president, and the magic merchant and jewel sword are the Magic Department and Knight Department top students, as well as the winners of the Magicraft and Musin Festival in the student competition.

In other words, this was close to a ‘high-ranking assassination crime’ targeting the celebrities of that time.

“But right now, Kelterus isn’t the top student.”

Because of that, even I can’t figure out who this crime will target.

If I only knew that, I could handle it cleanly.

As I was pondering the boss, *squeak*—the convenience store door opened.

It was already evening—who could it be…

“Mille-feuille.”

“Hello, Senior.”

“……”

I couldn’t find words.

Her gauntlets were tattered. Her hair slightly disheveled. Scratches here and there.

The girl who had her top student exam today—looking like this meant she’d been through a fierce battle.

And.

“I came to return the gauntlets.”

Her beaming smile showed that she had won that fight.

So what I needed to say wasn’t a question.

“Mille-feuille.”

“Yesss?”

“Well done.”

“Yes, Senior. I came back proudly, having won!”

“Good. Then shouldn’t you introduce yourself again?”

“Pardon?”

“Besides the alias 【Iron Fist】, you’ve gained another title, haven’t you?”

“…Ah, ahaha. Yes, Senior.”

Mille-feuille smiled radiantly.

“First-year Common Department. 【Iron Fist】 Mille-feuille von Sabre. As of today, I am the 【Grade Top Student】!”

Her crystal-clear eyes were fixed on me, as if she would never let go.