"Princess! Princess Pheonia!"
A student came running in, breaking the solemn atmosphere.
"We've identified the remaining people in the academic district—"
A male student with reddish-brown hair came through the barricade and stood right in front of the princess. Identifying the number of people in a crisis was the most important thing to do.
Time was crucial. The number of people trapped by the barrier in the academic district wasn't high since it happened when most people were already heading back to their living quarters. Thanks to this, they could somewhat estimate the overall number of people left by gathering information from the students with them.
The male student who was in charge of investigating took in a big gulp of air as he began to report.
"There were alchemy students at the Taneth Magic Supplies Storage. They were researching chemicals and started a sit-in of their own. There shouldn't be any reason for worry since they were mostly third-year students."
"What else?"
"The faculty and staff who were in charge of locking the doors for the night, along with the building management, are gathered at Audrey Hall. However, as they are general staff, they don't have the means to deal with the spirits."
"Do they need support?"
"I heard Professor Kali is in charge of that. However, it seems it would be difficult for them to join us."
Although most of the professors would have already returned to their living quarters, it seemed that there was still a professor or two remaining.
However, it would be difficult to take care of and manage all the general staff. The distance between where we were and Audrey Hall was also quite far, so gathering those workers and having them move all the way here would be expecting a bit too much. However, they couldn't just be left unattended.
"They have also decided to do a sit-in."
"Yes, that is the best way to minimize damage. I shouldn't make a decision that would risk the safety of the administration and the teaching staff."
"I think we're the only ones who are capable of entering the Student Center."
The princess made up her mind once again. The place they were at was right in front of the center anyway. More than anything else, they were the ones who could quickly deal with the situation.
"Other than that, there was no other recognized stud—"
"There is!"
A girl raised her voice somewhere around the barricade.
Everyone's eyes instantly went to her. A freshman girl was anxiously clenching her fist tightly, arms wrapped around her chest. With closed eyes, she shouted.
"I-I'm sorry... The atmosphere was too solemn so... I wasn't able to say anything."
"Please explain in detail."
"I am… an apprentice librarian in charge of managing the student library. I'm Tisika.... Actually, I still have a friend left behind at the student library."
The girl's twisted face looked like she was in pain. It seemed she was struggling to confess.
"We usually close the library together, but there was someone in the reading room today and he wasn't leaving right until closing time. My friend said she would wait and close up the library herself, so she let me head back first. I was on my way home when…"
"Then that means there is one apprentice librarian and one student in the reading room who are still isolated. Wait… did you say librarian?"
Ziggs stood up from his seat in the corner. He then approached the girl who was struggling to speak and looked her straight in the eyes before asking.
"Your librarian friend. What's her name?"
"Elka Islan."
The girl was sweating as she struggled to say her friend's name, trying to avoid Ziggs's gaze.
Ziggs's eyes began to tremble as soon as he had confirmed the name.
"Did you say… Elka…? Are you sure? You're sure you're not mistaken?"
"Yes… we are learning how to manage magic books as apprentice librarians in class."
Ziggs's clenched fist hit the barricade behind the girl. The girl was caught by surprise and closed her eyes, taking a step back. The barricade behind her made of wooden benches and various decorative objects had collapsed.
"Shit! Princess Pheonia, I'm going to go look for her now."
"Ziggs?"
"Elka is really good at managing magic books and researching magic but she doesn't have the power to defend herself. She was just an aspiring scholar. If we leave her alone, she'll definitely be attacked by the spirits running rampant."
Ziggs walked back to the center of the camp and dropped to his knees in front of Princess Pheonia.
"I need to go to the student library and look for her right now."
"Ziggs Eiffelstein, do you know that your words are filled with too much emotion?"
But the one who responded was someone else—The Golden Daughter Lortelle Kecheln.
"Going from here to the library is going to take you too long, even if you run at full speed. You would also need to somehow pass through all those spirits. Who knows how long that would take? Rather than that, we need to prioritize stopping Janica Faylover right now. She's the cause of all of this, after all."
A calm and assertive tone. A realistic plan.
Polite and calm when talking to superiors, but relentless to those she considered as equals or lower.
This was only natural for Lortelle Kecheln who grew up in the cold harsh reality of the Elte Company.
"I know you have some sort of attachment to Elka, Ziggs. But what we need right now is to figure out how this could work."
Elka Islan.
'The Spear from Nature Ziggs' thought of her as his savior when he was near the end of the cliff.
Elka supported and embraced Ziggs despite his lineage as part of the northern nomadic people. People who had walked a bloody path all their lives.
Ziggs believed he could no longer live a normal life but Elka showed him what human warmth was.
He remembered seeing her smile between the gaps of the thick magic books in the library's reading room. Because of her, Ziggs was able to leave his life as a bloodthirsty monster behind.
For Ziggs, losing the smile of the girl who gave him a chance at a new life was more frightening than losing his own life.
"Hmm…"
But at the same time, Lortelle Kecheln's words were irresistibly persuasive in that they were both rational and realistic.
Lortelle Kecheln's words were always justified despite her being a sneaky and greedy merchant. That's just the type of person Lortelle Kecheln was.
"Please calm down, Ziggs. Being this emotional isn't like you. Lortelle Kecheln had a point."
Ziggs had always been the calmest student among the three Class A appointees.
Lucy was a weirdo while Lortelle Kecheln was always acting suspicious and was someone who couldn't be trusted. But unlike the two of them, Ziggs was always righteous and had common sense. He was also someone who communicated well. Ziggs's calm demeanor actually earned him the catchphrase, "In Ziggs, we trust."
But that Ziggs and this Ziggs were vastly different. You didn't need Princess Pheonia's Insightful Eyes to know how important Elka was to Ziggs.
"Tisika said there is still one other student in the library with her. Why don't you try trusting that student right now?"
"That's… Uhm…"
In front of them was the Student Center where the root of the problem was. It would be selfish to ignore that and run to the library.
Ziggs knew that. That was why he couldn't refute the princess's words.
"Are you certain that there was another student with her, Tisika?"
"That… That is…"
Tisika took a step back as sweat rolled down her face, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
A sense of anxiety washed over the princess.
"Is there something you're trying to hide, Tisika?"
"That's… Uhm… Eghh…"
Paying no mind that he was in front of the princess, Ziggs kicked his chair and stood up once again.
He quickly stomped over to Tisika and grabbed her by her collar.
"Say it right now!"
"Uhm... S– I'm sorry..!"
Tisika fell to her knees with tears in her eyes as she confessed.
"It was… Ed Rothstaylor."
An ominous silence enveloped the group at the mention of the name.
"He was just sitting there until late at night. And I didn't want to talk to him because he was so annoying. You know what I'm talking about! What kind of person Ed Rothstaylor is! So I just left Elka to take care of everything. Elka… she isn't the type to care about rumors. And she didn't even know that student was Ed Rothstaylor so I thought it should be okay…"
The heavy feeling of guilt pushed her into a corner. The fact that she had taken advantage of her own friend was too heavy to bear.
"So Elka let me leave early without making a fuss… that's what happened. I'm… so sorry…"
The string of patience Ziggs was hanging onto finally snapped.
Ed Rothstaylor.
Ziggs was also taking the entrance exam when Ed came and caused a commotion. Ziggs had seen well enough just how ugly of a human being Ed was.
"Let go of me! Don't you know who I am? I am Ed Rothstaylor, the second son of the Rothstaylor family! Get your dirty hands off me, you pigs! Just where are you touching me?"
"You think I would stoop so low just to mess with a nobody failure like Taylor Mclore? Let go of me! These dirty and ignorant commoners! Do you even know what you're talking about!"
"Taylor Mclore? Ha… A low-ranking failure of a student who's all talk."
Luxuries and pleasures. Prideful and lazy. Incompetent too.
Ed Rothstaylor was a pathetic human being with despicable qualities. He took advantage and threw away his closest friends when an opportunity arose, never caring about the kindness he had received. He was truly selfish in every sense of the word.
It was obvious what everyone else at the base was whispering about.
"Ed? That Ed Rothstaylor? Doesn't this mean the librarian is in big trouble?" "There are so many rumors that he's seriously disgusting and pathetic." "Doesn't this mean the librarian is alone with such a person?" "Oh no..."
It was too dangerous to leave the room with these many berserked spirits occupying the streets, let alone the building.
The fact that that cruel Ed Rothstaylor and Elka were in such a situation…
Nothing good would come out of such a situation. Elka had no power in such an extreme situation, and she may even be taken advantage of by Ed Rothstaylor and thrown away. Or worse, he could even lay a finger on her fragile body.
Ziggs had complete confidence he knew the type of person Ed was. The rumors about him also added credibility.
The fact that Elka's fate rested in the hands of such a person made Ziggs lose all sense of reasoning.
"I'm heading to the library right now."
His anger has already surpassed his limit. Rather than that, it now felt cold.
Ziggs notified them in a soft subdued voice.
The one he notified was the Benevolent Princess Pheonia herself, someone that even Headmaster Obel respected.
Ziggs's intentions were clear. He was rejecting a royal order.
"You're crossing the line, Ziggs Eiffelstein."
The first person to step up was Head Escort Claire. But Ziggs didn't care.
In Lazy Lucy's absence, no one among them could defeat the Spear from Nature Ziggs. Even Claire, who was a member of the Royal Guards, couldn't guarantee how many strikes she would be able to withstand.
He was considered one of the best magicians amongst the first-years alongside Lazy Lucy and the Golden Daughter Lortelle, the three of them recognized by Professor Glast solely for their skills.
And as he was born among the northern nomads, he had been living his life with human blood on his hands for longer than he had matured.
He had always lived a life at the crossroads between life and death. No one could compare to him in terms of practicality.
If Lazy Lucy was like a tank or a fighter with how her magic cannot be blocked, then the Spear from Nature Ziggs was like a well-trained special agent his whole life. There may be a massive difference in terms of pure power and scale between the two of them, but within Ziggs's specialized field, he would be able to fully dominate and demonstrate his power.
And his specialized field was dueling with no outside interference.
"I'll beat anyone who tries to stop me from leaving."
"I can't let you do that."
The Golden Daughter Lortelle cast a spell. The moisture in the atmosphere froze in an instant, creating a huge ice spear in the air. It was Ice Spear, the same intermediate magic that destroyed the ceiling of Training Hall.
The two first-year top students from the Magic Department of Sylvania. Ziggs and Lortelle stared at each other. It was a rare scene for anybody to witness.
Everyone gathered and watched nervously, swallowing their dry saliva at the sudden, extreme turn of events.
"I'll give you credit, Ziggs. You are the strongest person amongst everyone here in terms of power. If you leave the subjugation, then our chance of success will sharply drop. Which is why, I'm sorry, but you can't leave your position as a member of the team."
"That's hilarious, Lortelle. Do you think I'll cooperate if you try and force me to do so?"
"You have completely lost your mind. I know how much you cherish Elka, but you need to at least distinguish between your public and private life. Look over there."
Following Lortelle's gaze, everyone could see Glaskan's summoning circle gradually turning a darker shade of red. There was an assortment of spirits occupying the hall as well.
"And where would you be going, to leave that behind?"
Lortelle looked Ziggs straight in the eyes. And she hated the burning passion within them.
Passion, hot blood, spirit, loyalty, vigor, strong will.
Lortelle hated the fact that such words would show up in such an urgent situation.
Humans needed to be calm and rational. No matter the predicament or how harsh the situation may be, one needs to make the right judgement without being misled by wrong emotions.
That was the type of person who would be extremely reliable.
It didn't matter how many magic skills you knew, or how powerful you were. If your heart wasn't strong enough, then you couldn't be trusted. This was the first great principle that Lortelle learned in business ethics.
"I wouldn't be able to win over you in a one-on-one battle, Ziggs. But if I gave it my all, you wouldn't be able to walk away unscathed."
"Ha…"
Ziggs was superior to Lortelle in a duel. But that didn't mean Lortelle was an easy opponent. They would be able to exchange even blows at first, but over time, someone would eventually get extremely hurt.
It was too much pressure just for Ziggs to push through all the spirits and head to the library. And yet Ziggs shook his head.
"If that's your opinion, then I have no intention of giving up either."
The atmosphere between the two shifted to that of one just before a big fight. The atmosphere where, if one so much as steps forward, the fight would begin…
"What are you two doing?! What would happen if we fight amongst ourselves?!"
Princess Pheonia had reached her limit and shouted.
"But Princess Pheonia! Right now… that Ed Rothstaylor…"
Ziggs responded. But his forceful words grew rather tame towards the end.
With a face of complete desperation, Ziggs spoke in between tears. He was no longer the strong-minded and reliable Spear from Nature, Ziggs.
"If something happens to Elka, I really… I won't know how to live anymore."
His tone had shifted from anger to sadness, and now desperation.
Princess Pheonia did not expect this reaction.
She would have scolded a furious Ziggs for his actions and taken control of the situation. But this Ziggs had now completely become desperate, so clearly visible with the princess's Insightful Eyes.
His heart was more desperate than a dying man's. Elka was truly like family to him.
"B-But…"
Princess Pheonia stuttered at his sincere desperation. No sounds came out, even though her mouth was open.
"That guy, Ed Rothstaylor. Princess Pheonia, you also know what he's like…!"
Princess Pheonia, you also know what he's like.
She couldn't nod her head at the words.
Because she didn't actually know anything about him.
Her thoughts were complicated when it came to Ed Rothstaylor. Even the most obvious facts about him had become a fogged mystery.
The clear image she gets when looking into somebody's inner self, and yet she couldn't even manage to figure out the outline of the guy.
What was their current situation?
They were in an extreme crisis where nothing was guaranteed.
A reality where one minute, let alone one second, was a waste. Glaskan's summoning circle was increasingly growing darker, and the students' safety couldn't be guaranteed. Now everyone was looking amongst each other for decisions.
And that decision-maker also became the person in charge. The weight of her title would stay with her for as long as she was alive. But here, it also meant that everyone in the base would follow her.
The realization of this uncertain reality made her dizzy, driving her into a corner.
"E-Even so…"
Everyone in the camp had their eyes on Princess Pheonia and Ziggs. It was an urgent situation that carried responsibility for the princess, as everyone awaited her decision. A situation where a mistake in her judgment could lead to the loss of another person's life. A situation where nobody could speak up.
And it came back to her…
The sound of a burning campfire. The back of a boy who poked the fire with a poker. Looking straight into her eyes without emotion. And those words that penetrated her heart as he left the training hall.
The distasteful act of crawling on the floor during the entrance examination. His back when he pushed past her to chase after Taylor with an emotionless face. His eyes that never clearly revealed anything.
Princess Pheonia was completely pushed into a corner… and in that corner, she suddenly uttered the words, pointing to the direction of where her sixth sense was leading her.
"Even so… how about… just once… let's just… believe in that guy…?"
Silence filled the air once again.
Everyone stayed silent for a long time. Not a single word was said.
The expression on their faces showed how absurd they thought it was. As if the sun would rise from the west.
"Why…"
Ziggs lamented.
"Why do you have to say such a cruel thing? The Princess of Benevolence that I know… she wouldn't say something so irresponsible!"
Ziggs only saw her words as a disregard for his worries and opinions.
"I will… be on my way."
Ziggs shook his head as he headed towards the exit.
"Where are you going…?!"
"Lortelle."
Unexpectedly, it was Princess Pheonia who stopped Lortelle from chasing after Ziggs, although she was just in the middle of talking about how absurd trusting Ed was.
To be honest, she herself didn't understand why she had said that.
"Just let him go."
"Princess."
"However, you need to take responsibility for the outcome, Ziggs."
There were already too many things to think about. The princess was at her limit.
"I will pay for all my sins when I get back."
Finally getting permission, Ziggs bowed his head politely. He fully understood just how selfish his choice was. Nevertheless, since he had decided to save Elka, then even Princess Pheonia couldn't stop him.
Ziggs slowly lifted his head and left the base with a stern face.
"Princess Pheonia."
Watching his back as he slowly walked away, Lortelle called out to the princess.
She turned her head to find Lortelle staring at her in a rather obedient manner.
Princess Pheonia could tell what Lortelle was thinking without having to use her Insightful Eyes.
Being an excessive realist, she would condemn Princess Pheonia's decision. Even if somebody were to get hurt or be harmed, she would tell the princess that she should've never let Ziggs leave.
The princess steeled her heart.
But Lortelle actually had a wide smile across her face.
"Thinking about it, it may have been necessary to respect his opinion."
"Lortelle."
"It must have been a decision made by the princess after much consideration. Anyways, he's always had a noble will, so he couldn't just blindly judge if something was wrong or right."
Lortelle spoke so calmly and coolly, as if she didn't care about the tense situation just a moment ago. And she also affirmed the princess's decision.
"Anyways, if there aren't any changes in our original plan of entering the Student Center in an hour, we should begin preparing for the subjugation now. I'll be taking a short break and checking my body's condition. Princess Pheonia, I hope you too could get some rest."
And with an elegant smile, Lortelle Kecheln politely greeted Princess Pheonia as she walked by.
Although the situation didn't go the way she had thought it would go, the way Lortelle stepped down and even encouraged the princess's decision was that of a model vassal.
However, it was very clear to the princess.
Behind her heartfelt smile and act of encouragement was a deep feeling of disillusionment.
She felt it the moment Lortelle passed her by.
Her relationship with Lortelle wasn't very good, to begin with, but now she felt that this incident had somehow created a distance that couldn't be narrowed.
Even if the world were to turn upside down, Lortelle would never believe in Princess Pheonia.
The princess had a strong feeling about that.
"I'll be taking a break too, Claire."
She spoke to her loyal escort as she leaned her back against the barricade in a corner. Claire nodded and went on guard with a stern face.
And just like that, the tense situation in the camp had ended.
They didn't know where Lazy Lucy was, the strongest person amongst them all.
One of the most important combat forces, the Spear from Nature, Ziggs, had completely left the base.
And the most realistic and rational person, the Golden Daughter, Lortelle, was now psychologically and completely hostile towards her.
Nevertheless, she was the only one who could manage the weight of these students.
The princess hid behind the barricade so nobody would see, and held her knees to her chest.
Either way, the atmosphere around the base was not that of taking a rest. It wasn't like a powerful spirit was going to attack them right away. As long as there was someone who kept watch, there was time to check themselves and their equipment.
In her corner, where nobody could see, Princess Pheonia spoke quietly.
It was something that a person of royal status should never say for the entirety of their life.
"It's hard for me too."
Even though she was afraid that somebody might hear her by chance, she couldn't help but let the words slip from her mouth.
"Really… it's hard for me too…"
She was a girl who had never acted like a child in her life.
Though it's sad, even saying those small words were accompanied by guilt.
The time to defeat Janica was approaching.
Looking up to the sky, Glaskan's summoning circle, which was dazzling in the night sky, was drastically getting brighter.