How to Survive at the Academy - Chapter 39: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (9)

Chapter 39: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (9)

The Occupation of Ophelis Hall (9)

Act 2, Chapter 3: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall.

The fifth floor boss: the battle against Head Maid Elris

In the center of the fifth floor hall, Taylee’s party remained as calm and composed as ever.

The maid’s well managed appearance remained unchanged. From head to toe, there was not a single spot on her that was messy. Even though the head maid’s outfit was fancier and more decorated than that of the regular maid’s, there still wasn’t a single spot that was ruined.

In one hand she held a rapier, heavily decorated with a gorgeous rose pattern. In her other hand, she was gathering mana to cast intermediate magic.

Not only that, but all of the defensive magic circles that were protecting Ophelis Hall had returned to her, as Willian had passed out.

She had sword skills that could rival those of a combat student, was capable of intermediate magic, and even had access to the defensive magic circles of Ophelis Hall.

She was different from Willain, who had been taken over by the magic circles and ended up destroying Ophelis Hall. Being the head maid of Ophelis Hall, she was already familiar with the system and the practical uses of the defensive magic circles.

Nevertheless, she could not beat Taylee. After all, Taylee McLaure was the protagonist.

Regardless, the final battle of Act 2, Chapter 3 had begun.

And in an absurdly quick manner, the conclusion was met.

* * *

The rain fell onto Shaney’s rapier.

I was almost out of mana. I only had enough left to cast basic magic another two or three times.

I closed my eyes quietly as I began to remember.

Shaney’s first strike would be a stab between my lower abdomen and thigh. It would always be the same, even if she were to repeat it a hundred or even thousands of times. That was because all of the maids in Ophelis Hall used the sword in a similar way. Even if they didn’t like it, their body has already come to remember that exact pattern.

The rain continued pouring.

Shaney’s feet kicked off the ground as she broke through the rain, narrowing the distance between us in an instant.

If you looked at the fluttering hem of the maid outfit’s puffy skirt from the front, it looked like a blooming flower.

In an instant, Shaney twisted her body. The hem of her skirt, which used to resemble petals, curled up and disappeared. While I was unable to determine its whereabouts, a rapier struck my thigh. 

Well, it should have struck it.

Smash!

Instead, Shaney’s rapier was crushed into the ground by my foot.

My body responded naturally, even before Shaney approached me. It wasn’t a matter of how fast my reaction speed was, it was because I had the foresight.

Shaney’s power was primarily optimized to work well with her sister Kelly’s magic.

Unlike Kelly, who was in charge of attacking from the back and being their main source of firepower, Shaney took on the role of vanguard. She drew out the holes within the enemy’s defense with her quick and subtle movements.

There is almost no direct firepower, and her unnecessarily flashy and dynamic movements were only meant to attract attention. She might have been quite agile and quick, but her muscle strength was rather lacking.

“Wh-WHAT?!”

She had approached me quickly, thinking I was going to cast magic, but my act of preparing to cast beginner magic was all just a ruse.

A magician could never give up distance. That was because magic required one to stand still for a certain amount of time to properly cast it, but it could only happen while maintaining a safe distance.

In addition to that, their muscle strength and agility would naturally be greatly inferior when it came to close combat. To sum it up, those who were fighting against magicians were bound to focus on closing the distance.

Unfortunately, there was a difference in weight class between Shaney and me.

“Aghk!”

Shaney was startled as she tried to take out a dagger, hidden between her thighs.

However, my hand reached it first as I stopped her from pulling it out.

I bent Shaney’s wrist and kicked the bundle of knives, which were tied to her thigh, with my foot.

Clang! Clang!

All of her secondary weapons, which she had stored just in case, were now useless.

For a brief moment, Shaney’s eyes began to turn red as the flow of mana began to leak around her bent wrist.

The twin maids Shaney and Kelly could share some of their skills. It was the privilege granted to the twin sisters born with a blessing of the stars.

The dagger that had been knocked onto the floor suddenly began to float in the air. Kelly’s low-ranking telekinesis magic. It was a ‘living weapon’ that allowed swords, spears, and the like to attack the enemy directly.

About four or five daggers began to float up and spin in the air, aiming for me… Before they suddenly stopped.

As Shaney grabbed her rapier and her strength returned to her hand, the daggers rushed towards me. They were rushing at me like birds of prey, but I didn’t look towards them.

I lowered my body to protect my vital points and shoved my shoulder into Shaney.

Shaney’s magic wasn’t as sophisticated as Kelly’s. She could only borrow that power. In the end, it was still nothing more than an act to attract attention.

One by one, daggers flew into my thigh, right shoulder, and forearm. However, it would be ridiculous to say that I had gotten struck as they fell right away. It was like a child throwing something at an adult. The only damage was a small amount of bleeding.

I didn’t lessen my strength while I bent Shaney’s wrist.

From the beginning, Shaney’s goal was obvious. The flying daggers were just a trick to steal her opponent’s attention and force them to respond. Much of Shaney’s fighting power came from her unique agile movements.

Once you took control of those movements, she would never be able to gain the upper hand.

My blood started to drip as my elbow rested on her solar plexus, laying on the floor.

“Cough!”

Shaney stopped breathing for a moment. I stabbed my nail into her forearm and added some strength to scrape her skin.

“Kaaaghk!”

“Eu-Eughaak!”

“That’s right.”

I kicked away her rapier, which was rolling on the floor.

She was an opponent that made up for the difference in muscle strength with her sleek movements and high agility. Once she lost her weapons and her movements were suppressed, there was no hope for her.

It took less than a minute to get to that point.

“Eugaaaaaaaaaaagkh!”

But as the rainwater kept on falling into her bloodshot eyes, she grabbed my chest and pushed at me. She kept on scratching me with her fingernails, kicking me in the back with her thigh, which altogether began to drive me mad.

“I can’t disappoint Ms. Elris after coming this far! Move! Get out of my way!”

Her elegance and polite manners were a thing of the past as she began rolling around on the muddy ground. I wiped my blood off and grabbed Shaney’s neck tightly as I spoke straight to her face.

“Elris will lose.”

The blood dripping from my face fell onto Shaney’s white cheek. The drops of blood running down her face and around her ears mixed with the rain as it wet the ground.

“What do you know? What do you know about Ms. Elris?”

To be honest, I didn’t know much.

The occupation of Ophelis Hall was just a stepping stone event. The personal backstory of the event boss was beyond my realm of knowledge.

“Do you have any idea how much Ms Elris has suffered? Even in this situation, do you even know how hard she fought to stay true to her beliefs?”

To be honest…

Silvenia’s Failed Swordmaster didn’t go into much depth about Elris’ personal situation.

There were many episodes that needed to be processed, so maybe they thought that adding development to each side character would end up increasing the volume too much and slow down the pacing.

“… That’s none of my business.”

With those words, Shaney’s eyes widened. Since I didn’t have the answer, I was left speechless. She was not wrong.

BOOM!

A huge explosion erupted coming from the fifth floor of Ophelis Hall. The white spectacle that lit up the darkness of the late night had clearly come from Taylee’s Swordmaster Skill.

The battle against the head maid Elris was nearing its end.

Shaney, with her bloodshot eyes, took advantage of my shock and reached her hand out towards my face.

She used her fingernail to stab my arm to make me loosen my grip, but I had already grabbed her by the side of her neck and pressed down hard. Little by little, she was starting to run out of breath as she began to faint.

In a last ditch effort, she began to scratch at the back of my neck and collarbone like crazy.

“You don’t even know! You don’t even know a thing about Elris! So how can you be on the side of that wicked girl…?!”

Reaching out her hand, Shaney choked as her voice was filled with hatred.

“Do you have any idea how many orphans Elris saved?! I was one of them! If it wasn’t for Elris, I couldn’t have gotten such a job, made any money, or even continued living in the first place!”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Kgh, ughk.”

Regardless of the scratches that she made around my face and neck, I kept pushing on Shaney. I was shocked by the hate in her bloodshot eyes, but I didn’t change my expression.

 “I won’t forgive… I can’t believe… Taking… Lortel’s side… E-Ed Roths… Keughkkk…”

Her white hands, which were gripping my face, gradually loosened. Both of her arms fell into the mud.

I relaxed my grip as I looked down at Shaney, who had fainted.

I slowly stood up.

My whole body was muddy as the defeated Shaney’s body lay in front of me. Her bloodshot eyes and flowing tears were imprinted into my memory.

It was a shame, but I didn’t know any of the extras’ storylines. What did she expect me to do when I didn’t know?

Just how did Elris end up saving Shaney and Kelly? What did she have to go through to become the head maid of Ophelis Hall? Just how much did Elris struggle through to get there? There was no way for me to find out.

Silvenia’s Failed Swordmaster didn’t put a spotlight on that story. There was no story in the main storyline that had shed light on them.

In the first place, there were many stories in this world that had never been shown.

I turned my head and looked up at the half destroyed Ophelis Hall.

On the top floor, Elris, who was one of the main people behind this situation, must be getting defeated by Taylee.

Nevertheless, the half destroyed Ophelis Hall wouldn’t return.

The financial damage had already been done, which would put pressure on the school. Some of the students wouldn’t have a place to live now, so they would end up complaining. And there may have even been some students who had gotten injured by the falling debris.

Furthermore, the pressure on the school’s finances may even result in a reduction in student benefits and welfare, the size of scholarships may reduce. A major change in dormitory policy was needed, and some students may even have to give up on their studies.

What’s the point in trying to weigh the damages caused by this incident when compared to the relief efforts Elris had done before, just to figure out if she was in the right? 

Who was Elris to weigh the importance of good and evil, and to what extent could she overlook evil in the decisions she made and the methods she took?

Or was she a villain that was on the same level as Lortel or Elte…?

People who could make philosophical comments and decide on their own choices in life were those who were living a privileged, fulfilling life.

However, my life choices and ultimate goal had never changed, not even once, since I ended up possessing this body.

It was to survive.

I knew exactly what kind of crazy storyline the world is progressing into.

That was why I had taken Lortel’s side to survive. That was it.

Unfortunately, there were no profound philosophical reasons for agony or personal morals that went into this decision.

As it was with all of the decisions we made in life.

[You have defeated Shaney, who is in charge of dishes!][You have acquired the combat-type skill ‘Pain Endurance’][You have acquired the combat-type skill ‘Battlefield Vision’]

The ‘Pain Endurance’ skill, which temporarily allowed you to forget pain and delayed the consumption of Vitality.

And the ‘Battlefield Vision’ skill, which allowed you to momentarily process the opponent’s movements in slow motion.

“This… I’ve finally learned it…”

In the pouring rain, I looked at the scratches all over my body while organizing the thoughts of what my next steps were in my head. 

There was still work that had to be taken care of.

I picked up a stone and quickly went on my way again. Now I had to enter Lortel’s room.

After that, everything else would be a breeze.

Crash!

I broke her window as I crawled into Lortel’s room.

Crack!

Stepping on the fallen glass shards, I looked around Lortel’s room.

It was spacious and grand, as expected of a room in Ophelis Hall. On the other hand, it felt a bit awkward.

Yennekar’s room, from my memory, was a room full of cute ruffles and pretty decorations, with a variety of things that were just like her… but her peer’s room, was strangely more business-like.

Luxurious pieces of wooden furniture and various decorations seemed to have been arranged out of necessity. Her desk was covered in papers and the books were angled without a single error, resembling soldiers lining up in a row.

The gap between Lortel and Yennekar was so clear that I couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile without realizing it.

“That’s so like her.”

I spoke to myself as I pulled out a large wooden box from underneath her desk. Inside was a bird cage with, naturally, a bird inside of it.

I took out the cage, put it on the desk, and pulled out a pen from the corner of the desk. I flipped over a random piece of paper lying on the desk and began to write.

Elte is in Silvenia. It will take at least three days for him to get back to the headquarters.

Sell all the equipment that you have secured.

I rolled up the piece of paper and put it in a small container tied to the leg of the pigeon.

Then, I took out the pigeon and let it spread its wings in freedom.

The homing pigeon, which flew through the rain in the night sky, would return with Elte’s head.

I was relieved to think that I had finished a major task and sighed.

* * *

* * *

It had been a long time since I’d last seen the northern forest.

The northern forest. It was a place where I struggled desperately to survive, each and every day. But after going through many trials, I ended up realizing that there was nowhere else like the forest.

No matter how shabby and ugly my house was, it was still my house. It was the most comfortable place for me, and there was nothing I could do about it.

The rain had nearly stopped. No, it had stopped.

There was a unique atmosphere in the forest right after the rain.

Though it wasn’t raining, the heavy moisture that pressed down on my skin still remained, making it difficult to move.

However, the pleasant feeling of the damp atmosphere was a mystery of vegetation. Thanks to the humidity, it felt like I was a part of the forest as I made my way through the thick scent of grass. 

However, to claim to be a part of this beautiful nature… My appearance was too off-putting.

A shirt covered in blood, wounds on my thighs and shoulders. The bleeding had stopped, but the blood stains remained as I limped around like a zombie.

Still, those kinds of wounds would recover quickly when you considered my past experiences. It was better than being attacked by a wild boar or falling while picking fruits from a tree. As long as I put something over them, then they would heal quickly. 

“Phew…”

I let out a deep breath as I began to speed up my steps. It wasn’t a trail… It was just a path, close to the mountain road that cut through the grass. 

If the entire plan went well, Lortel should have been waiting at the cabin.

There wasn’t much time left for Elte. Being in his position, a person couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

Before the homing pigeon arrived and the sale went through, he would have to find Lortel and make her admit the truth. It would be in a somewhat violent and cruel way.

Originally, it wouldn’t have been too difficult.

Using common sense, nobody would imagine that the head of the Elte Company would be in such a place at such a time. Neither Lortel nor I did. For a man of his stature, rumors usually would spread a few days ahead of his visit.

Without the help of Ziggs and Yennekar, and other events that worked out in my favor, Lortel would have ended up going down a merciless path of failure.

Still, there was a fairly high chance of succeeding. That was because time was on Lortel’s side. Somewhere along the path the pigeon would take between that night and the next afternoon was the Maginot line.

Once he heard that Lortel’s wagon had escaped outside of Acken Island, Elte definitely wouldn’t stay still.

There was no way for him to search from inside of Acken Island calmly in such an urgent situation.

There was a high possibility that it would all just be a waste of time, chasing the wagon that escaped while trying to deduce Lortel’s whereabouts and the carriage’s path.

Even if he was able to catch the coachman quickly and make him confess her whereabouts, he would then need to turn around and go all the way back to Acken Island. The failure to win at Ophelis Hall would become his bitter, disappointing mistake.

‘Please, when I return to the cabin, please let Lortel be waiting there.’

As I thought that, I suddenly saw a girl at the bottom of the small hill.

Maybe it was because of the long night’s hardships, but her reddish colored hair—which usually resembled a blazing flame—had no shine.

Her hair, which was tied to one side, had fallen loose. Her wet body didn’t seem to be drying, even though the rain had stopped.

A girl who had lived her entire life in a world revolving around golden coins and calculating, understanding, estimating every move. She was the Golden Daughter, so to speak.

I couldn’t see her expression as she was wearing a hood.

“Wow, did you come all the way here to see me? How kind of you.”

I playfully threw out those words, but no response came back.

Maybe she was quite exhausted, stumbling down the path coming here.

The rain stopped and the clouds began to clear as the rising moonlight cast a shadow. It ended up making it even harder to decipher the girl’s expression.

And then she pulled out a sharp, silver dagger from under her arm.

Goosebumps rose all over my body.

“… What?”

Did she pick up one of the daggers that Shaney was using? If she had come out through the back gate after I defeated Shaney, she would have been able to obtain one.

The use of magic power was too conspicuous, so maybe she was going to just keep a dagger as a means of self defense?

I shook my head.

‘Pull yourself together. That’s just a very hopeful interpretation.’

I tried to step back, but I couldn’t take another due to my injuries.

Yeah, did I get a little too complacent?

She was the Golden Daughter, Lortel.

She was someone who was cruel and ungrateful. Someone who took advantage of people as much as she could before throwing them away.

Right. From Lortel’s point of view… Now was the time to get rid of Ed Rothstaylor.

Regardless of what ended up happening to Elte, those who knew the truth about the relation between the Elte Company and the occupation of Ophelis Hall had to be reduced to the smallest number possible.

There were five people that she had brought in.

Elris, Shaney, Kelly, Willain… And me, Ed Rothstaylor.

Even if she ended up overthrowing Elte, she still needed to keep the mouths of those five people shut.

Elris was a person that moved according to the logic of money. Even though she may not be able to open up her heart to her again, as she has already been betrayed by her once, she could be confident that she could shut her up with enough money. The reason she had betrayed her in the first place was probably because of the amount of money.

And not just that. If Elte were to lose his position, Elris would have no choice but to fall into Lortel’s hand. As long as she could clearly see the circumstances, then she could use her to her heart’s content.

Shaney and Kelly were maids who were loyal to Elris. As long as she could persuade Elris, then those two would keep their mouths shut as well.

Willain, the representative of the lower students, was brought into the plan with money from the beginning. He always wanted to be the voice of the lower students, but whenever he was given money he was easily swayed and taken advantage of.

And the last variable was Ed Rothstaylor, who was out of her control.

At first she thought that he could be bought with money, but now she was unsure if buying him over with just money was possible.

She had to take into account the risk of being stabbed in the back, while trying to forcefully figure out his inner thoughts and plans.

A remote part of the northern forest.

Nobody would notice amidst the chaos of the Ophelis Hall incident.

The opponent’s whole body was a wreck. He was in a state of total exhaustion, with an injury that made him unable to even properly hold his body up.

There was a sharp weapon in her hand.

She was a girl who was like the incarnation of greed, who unconditionally seized even the smallest opportunities.

I knew better than anyone else that she wasn’t a person who would give up an opportunity like this.

Let’s calm down.

I could overcome the situation.

She was as tired as I was, and we weren’t so deep in the woods that it would be impossible to make it to the Teacher District if I ran away immediately.

In addition, there are also quite a few spirits in the forest that were favorable to me. With their help, we could interfere with Lortel’s movement for a while.

Well, I needed to admit what was obvious. I had gotten a bit complacent.

I couldn’t take into account the situation because I was busy dealing with so many sudden variables.

Even despite that, I should have never forgotten the nature behind the character ‘Lortel Kehelland’.

Act 2, Chapter 10: The battle for the Sage’s Seal. It took place after Act 2, Chapter 3: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall.

Did I already forget about Lortel’s role in the climax?

Lortel Kehelland was an evil girl who would take advantage of anyone, regardless of who they were, and immediately throw them away afterwards.

Someone who stabbed her own adoptive father in the back, took advantage of Taylee and his party by knowing their every move, and then ran away with all the benefits by herself in the end. 

I still remember the scene where she mockingly smiled in front of the school, holding onto the Sage’s Seal. When she smiled, head down, as she listened to Elte’s screams. Those scenes were still stuck in my mind.

This was not the time for me to be acting like this. I need to use my brain.

The moment I tried to straighten my body and come up with a decent escape plan…

Rrrrrrrrip.

Lortel used the dagger to tear a hole into her expensive-looking robe.

She then stumbled forward, walking towards me.

“You ended up getting hurt… to this extent…”

With the torn fabric… she tied it around my wound.

I could see her expression now that she was closer… It looked like she was going to cry.

“I’ll help you. I lit the campfire, since it stopped raining. First, we should warm up.”

***

Crackle, Crackle.

“So, did everything go as planned?”

“Ed, you’re really quite… Of course it did. I’m Lortel Kehelland.”

The moon and stars came out like usual. The sky after the rain had stopped. It felt rather cozy.

She grinned, holding onto a mug next to the burning campfire. She had finally returned to her foxlike appearance.

“I got a promise from the coachman. He said that he would try his best to attract their attention and buy some time. He’s even willing to risk his life.”

“He was that loyal? What type of trick did you use?”

“You want to know?”

Just by looking at her wide smile, I could tell that it wasn’t a very honorable method. I refrained from asking any further questions. Don’t tell me, she wouldn’t have taken their family hostage, right?

… Right?

“Well, it was a lot different than I had planned, but… Anyway, I am in great debt to you, Ed. Thank you.”

“Is that so?”

“Did you know? If this plan goes well, then I’ll join the ranks of those highest in power within the Elte Company.”

The position of head would be taken by another senior merchant, but since she was the one who actually created an empty seat for the new head, she would become an influential figure within the business.

“The fact that I owe you a debt, isn’t it something incredible? What do you think? Don’t you feel a lot of pressure on your shoulders? Don’t you think I’m amazing?”

“……”

“Wow, that reaction was so lame.” 

I felt relieved to see that her sparkling smile while saying those words was no different from her usual smile, the one that hid her evil intentions.

While laughing so mischievously, she took a sip of the herbal tea from the mug… and quietly lowered her voice.

“Thank you so much. I will never forget it.”

“Give me the twenty gold coins you promised me on time, then.”

“Hahaha! That’s… of course I will.”

She never got rid of her smile, as if everything was great. Blinking and staring straight at my face, I felt uncomfortable—as if she was trying to see what was hidden in my heart.

“That’s that. But there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“What? Do you still have something to take care of? Is it about Elris?”

“No, nothing like that. I’m going to take care of that stuff on my own… What I wanted to ask about was Yennekar.”

It was a natural technique for merchants to change a topic naturally like the wind.

“Ed, you’re very close to Yennekar. Right?”

I tilted my head at that question and answer immediately.

“Yeah, I’m close with Yennekar. She’s a good person.”

“She is definitely a nice, and great upperclassman that I respect. She’s always considerate of others and good hearted.”

“Yeah. So, what’s up?”

Saying that, Lortel looked down at the herbal tea and then looked up at the sky. The sky from the river in the northern forest was as high and clear as usual.

“I’m not that nice of a person.”

She recited those words while quietly holding onto the mug gently closing her eyes.

***

Booooooom!

The first floor of Ophelis Hall was no longer only partially destroyed. It was now completely destroyed.

Ziggs Eiffelstein finished the battle and straightened his body. The mercenaries brought by Elte were less impressive than he had expected.

They didn’t look like mercenaries under direct control of the Elte Company. Though even at that level of quality, if there were too many then it could have become hard for Ziggs. Quality was important, but quantity could always make up for it.

However, the mercenaries’ training was so poor that Ziggs and Yennekar alone were enough to defend Ophelis Hall.

‘Were they just mercenaries who were brought over in a hurry? It must have been quite the urgent situation, or perhaps a situation in which he didn’t want anyone to know that he had left his seat?’

Coming up with such a guess, Ziggs sat down on the rubble near him.

‘For some reason… I have a feeling that we are going to have another fight. I’m a little worried about the head maid, as well. It seems like there is something weird going on.’

He didn’t feel completely relieved, but that couldn’t be helped given that the situation had become like this.

“Phew. Good work, Yennekar.”

Ed suddenly requested help and, without fully understanding the situation, he ended up helping. Though, somehow everything ended well.

Elte suddenly received a report from his subordinate in the middle of it all, and rushed out. It seemed that he was no longer interested in Ophelis Hall.

Was this all according to Ed’s plan? He hoped that he could at least hear a detailed explanation of the situation from him later.

With that in mind, Ziggs looked towards Yennekar.

“……”

Among the mid-ranking spirits there was a girl. At first, she looked a bit worried. But as the battle continued, the spirits grew stronger and stronger—to an unbelievable strength.

Since he was afraid of casualties, he had to keep an eye on Yennekar.

“Yennekar?”

From Ziggs’ point of view, he could only see Yennekar’s back. Looking at her, it was like he had seen a ghost. Chills ran across his body. Ziggs took a moment to take a deep breath.

“… Yennekar, is something the matter? By chance, are you angry?”

The girl was smiling gently.

“I’m not angry.”

However, because of her protruding veins, Ziggs felt uncomfortable talking to her.