Chapter 18
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To my dear friend Louisa,
Addressing you as a dear friend feels cheesy, though I wrote it myself. That’s why one shouldn’t do things they’re not used to. I’ve just started writing letters, and I already want to stop.
This is my first time writing a letter to you, right? I didn’t have a reason to write letters before, but now I do. Are you crying at the long-awaited contact from a close friend? If so, it’s a pity we haven’t met. Even if I weren’t sensible, I could have guessed at the Academia. Oh, if I hadn’t been sensible, I wouldn’t have had a reason to write letters. hahahaha.
I wonder if the Headmaster is doing well. When I was disciplined, I wanted to sever ties with my teacher, but why? Teachers aren’t young either. No matter how monster-like they may seem, they’re still human. Sometimes I think I’m getting old. My sensitivity is increasing. Oh, of course, you’re a year older than me, and I still haven’t reflected on being disciplined!
To summarize my time of discipline for your curiosity, it was a series of surprises. What? What surprising things could have happened during my time at the Academia? Well, there were quite a few.
You know I worked at the Schugenhardt main house, right? I had two remarkable figures as my disciples there. Both were outstanding in various ways, and you’ll probably be surprised when you see them. Of course, the teacher’s excellence allowed the students to show their talents, but still! Look closely at the entrance ceremony to see who I’m talking about.
What? Just tell you who it is instead of keeping it a secret? Oh, it wouldn’t be fun if I revealed it now. Externally or skill-wise, they’re both quite noticeable, so you’ll probably know right away. You must check later! Make sure to find out!
Ugh, my arm hurts. I should shorten the letter now. The remaining stories can be told when we meet, right? I find moving my mouth more comfortable than my hands. Let’s have a strong drink when we meet. Let’s drink until dawn!
Looking forward to that day.
That’s all for now. Take care.
Your only friend, Paula.
P.S. The items in front of you aren’t trash; they’re my belongings. I asked to keep them in your room since I had no proper place to send them. Please don’t throw them away? I’ll come to pick them up soon~ hahahaha.
—
Torn.
A woman crumples the letter she just read with her fist. Her eyebrows furrow, and the veins on her temples bulge, intensifying her already stern expression.
“That damn Paula⎯⎯⎯!”
Her roar fills the room, accompanied by mana, shaking the surrounding objects. Clang. The vibrating sound of a teacup is loud.
After finishing work and arriving in front of her room with the intention of resting comfortably, she was greeted by a massive pile of luggage.
Initially, upon hearing that the owner of the items was Paula, she contemplated whether to take everything out and smash it, or throw it into the lake outside the Academia.
However, she managed to restrain herself, slowly inspecting Paula’s belongings until she found a small letter wedged in between. Thinking, “At least she has some concept,” she unfolded it, but Paula’s casual attitude conveyed through the writing ignited Louise’s anger.
Thud─.
Louise struck a specially made sandbag designed for her with her fist. The sandbag bore the clear imprint of her punch. Soon after, it returned to its original state.
To calm her easily flaring temper, the Academia had made it for her, though she initially refused, she now favored it more than cigarettes after using it once. Since she couldn’t hit people, using it as a substitute had proven to be quite effective.
Thud─.
Another tremendous shockwave spread. The sandbag, struck, rippled like waves, but there was not a single ripple on the body of the person. A solid, agile body devoid of any fat.
“That bastard. If he keeps pushing, I should stick a bottle in his brain.”
After two strikes, Louise was able to calm down. Though to someone seeing her for the first time, she might not seem like herself, she was in a considerably composed state.
“Making me deal with that guy, what a sight.”
Paula and Louise had been friends since their student days when they entered the Academia. They graduated and spent their warrior days together, and now both are active as professors. It could be said it was a strong, unbroken bond.
Louise pondered this with a frown. Though Paula’s letter had moments that angered her and lacked any significant content, there were still impressive parts.
“Students?”
Seeing Paula get so excited while talking about this made it hard to ignore. Having spent years together, Louise understood. If something didn’t give Paula chills, she wouldn’t show this level of interest. She was someone who wouldn’t bother with things she found uninteresting. A figure who held her own authority in magic. She was so proud to emphasize that they were her students.
“What kind of people are these guys that she talks about them like this?”
Louise furrowed her brow as she rechecked the contents of the crumpled letter.
***
The emerald spectacle spread across the page is dazzling. The sparkling, fresh grass basking in the sunlight seems to exude vitality. As if a cloud came in and covered the sunlight, everyone changes color and bows as if in agreement.
As if darkened by gathering rain clouds, the world darkens. Paula felt longing in this shade. She admired that massive something blocking the sun.
“Isn’t the Academia splendid to see after so long?”
The city in the sky.
A symbol of magic.
Before its majestic figure, the blades of grass could only bow their heads.
The airborne city, grand and dignified. It was the Warrior Academy, the Academia, to which she belonged.
There are no more than two institutions in the world that specialize in training warriors, including the Academia. Hence, these places, built under the auspices of the church, boast an unrealistic appearance.
“If you could take just 1/10 of that large mana crystal, you’d be incredibly rich.”
Paula chuckled to herself, acknowledging that she was saying something absurd.
She pointed out the focal point that allowed the Academia to float in the air, a never-ending cluster of magical energy.
The size was overwhelming; the 1/10 Paula mentioned was the size of a considerable mansion. Not only could you not take it, but you couldn’t hide it either.
While working at the Academia, the grandeur wasn’t as palpable, but occasionally looking at it from the outside made her proud just to be associated with it.
She had come riding various means of transportation, but from here on, Paula wanted to walk slowly and enjoy the Academia, with her staff by her side.
The refreshing mountain breeze blowing over the shaded ground felt invigorating. The slight chill actually breathed vitality into her.
“Even if the young lord doesn’t know, surely Miss Alicia would be entranced after seeing the Academia?”
Paula laughed to herself, imagining Alicia’s surprised expression. She didn’t tease Alicia directly like she did with Bargan, but in truth, she inwardly chuckled every time she saw Alicia’s reaction. Not out of disregard, but because she found her cute.
It would have been better if they had come together, but Paula had many things to take care of first, so they couldn’t. However, she wasn’t worried. They could meet again at the Academia. She would surely surprise her with an even more developed appearance. Knowing they would meet again made parting not so sad.
“Miss Alicia looked particularly melancholic, though.”
She was the one who showed a notably weak side at parting. Whether due to a pitiful past or a transformation in mental or ability, that aspect hadn’t changed. But even that was part of Alicia’s charm.
“I wonder how Mr. Bram is doing.”
Bram, who was busy running around, was so difficult to catch up with that it was hard to even see his face. There were many times when he seemed to be covered in fatigue due to whatever he was so busy with.
When Vera tried to casually ask about Bram’s whereabouts, he replied like this:
“You don’t need to know.”
“Who does he think he is, to treat the teacher like that? Ugh!”
Paula lightly tapped a stone rolling by the roadside. There seemed to be no one around. She imbued a bit of magic into it. It was a casual outburst, just a quick tap.
Of course, the force was strong enough to cause significant harm if there were ordinary people or animals around, but since there were no human shadows in sight, it seemed fine for now….
“Huh… huh?!”
No, why would someone suddenly pop out of that dense foliage!
As the unexpected man revealed himself in front of the swiftly flying stone, Paula hurriedly reached out her hand to try to stop the stone’s momentum.
However, the stone was already flying rapidly towards the young man’s face.
“Surprise.”
Tsuuu….
It stopped in the young man’s hand.
The young man seemed to handle mana quite well, as sparks of energy leaped from the hand that held the mana and the stone.
Whoever it was, it was a stroke of luck. If it had been an ordinary person, they could have been seriously hurt for no fault of theirs.
“Phew… Oh, this is not good. Are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t expect someone to come out from there….”
Paula brushed off her startled heart and approached the young man. It was natural for her to furrow her brows in surprise, but the young man, on the contrary, seemed to be trying to ease Paula’s worries by smiling.
“Oh, I’m fine. It’s true that it’s not a place where someone would typically come out from. I’m not hurt. Look.”
The young man spread his hand wide to show that he was unharmed. There were calluses visible, probably recent ones.
“I’m glad you’re not hurt…. Huh? But why did you come out from there, really? There wouldn’t even be a proper path there.”
“Well, you see….”
Rustle, rustle. The branches of the foliage from which the young man emerged rustled, making slight noises. And the woman who followed after him emerged, spitting out a slightly annoyed voice.
“This is why I told you to leave the pathfinding to me. Even if you think hard, this isn’t even a path to the Academy, let alone a path where people walk, and yet you forced your way in and ended up like this…. Huh?”
‘Who…’
The woman, who seemed to be a friend of the young man, was about to say something to Paula but then noticed the young man, who was smiling awkwardly, and turned her gaze towards him.
Her eyes narrowed, pressing the target. When this troublemaker found himself in such an unexpected situation, there was usually one person who was singled out as the culprit.
“What’s wrong, what did you mess up this time, Liam?”