Chapter 76
The room where the land spider settled.
One of the many rooms in the Unfairness.
Sitting alone on the bed, Liam was lost in thought with a special window open.
It was written on the window that a “Special Skill” was unlocked due to meeting certain conditions.
He gazed at the screen with emotionless eyes.
At the same time, memories of the past resurfaced at will.
As painful and tormenting as it was, warm memories flooded back.
There was nothing missing for Liam to train even in the Unfairness. After focusing on the growth of his skills for a day, Liam opened the door to the room he had promised with his colleagues and entered.
It was the room assigned to Nickel, the elemental mage, one of his team members.
“You’re so late. Hurry up and sit down.”
“Lucaiel! Don’t use such bad language!”
As soon as he opened the door, a man enthusiastically (?) greeted Liam, while a woman scolded him. The woman apologized, saying she was sorry.
“Liam, you must be used to it by now, but please forgive him. Lucaiel didn’t mean any harm with his words. He’s not used to socializing with people yet…”
“Harriana, sometimes you act like my parent. You’ve been like that since we were young. That’s a bad habit, you know that, right?”
“Lucaiel… Thankfully, you’re aware of it.”
“Yeah.”
Lucaiel, a male student known for his wolf tail, ears, sharp fangs, and claws, was full of the Ayn race from the Drak Union, while Harriana, who was apologizing on his behalf, had a yellow flower blooming on her earlobe.
The two had been childhood friends since a very young age.
Harriana often acted as a mediator for Lucaiel, who was always harsh with others.
“How long are you going to keep doing this while Liam is here? We didn’t gather to chit-chat.”
The woman smoothly leading the situation was Lavan Carol Ophilia, who came from the kingdom of Lavan, far from the Troa Empire and the Osel Kingdom.
Tigress, who insulted Alicia and lost in a ranking battle, and left the Academia, also belonged to this kingdom’s nobility.
Ophilia, who gathered everyone’s attention, casually threw a topic at Liam.
“I have something to discuss regarding tomorrow’s final exam. Oh, and before that, Nickel, thanks for lending the room. Thanks to you, we can have a comfortable conversation.”
“Ah, no… Not to this extent… I’m also a member of Liam’s team. Sometimes I want to be helpful.”
The spirit mage, Nikola, the owner of the room, shyly spoke while looking down at the floor without meeting his eyes.
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If Liam was still looking at her, she would undoubtedly hide her face and try to avoid him.
“Nikola is always helpful?”
“T-Thank you… That makes me a bit happy.”
Leaving Nikola, who was smiling faintly behind, Liam tried to head inside.
In a separate space Liam had prepared before, Nikola had said that even though she was quite fearful, she could fight alongside Altheaf. She requested him to ensure there would be no interruptions so they could take the final exam together.
Unable to refuse her plea, Liam, who was just a team leader without any special authority, played a role in helping the team move in a better direction if the team members were determined.
…He wished she had given up, but if a situation arose, he and the other team members could protect her. It made him slightly uneasy, but it should be fine.
Bargan was changing the original story to his liking. So far, he had been cautious about making drastic changes due to the fear of repercussions, but now he intended to proceed more boldly.
The main female protagonist of the original, Alicia. To prevent her from getting hurt anymore. And for the upcoming prospective heroes.
“I plan to crush the nest in tomorrow’s exam.”
Liam revealed to everyone.
“This guy is truly insane. Lately, he has been looking serious, but he has been having such strange thoughts?”
“Lucaiel, watch your language…! But Liam… to crush the nest… Are you saying you will destroy the core in the actual altar, not the mock altar?”
Lucaiel expressed anger and a hollow laughter, while Harianna showed concern.
“…May I ask what you are thinking?”
Ophelia calmly intervened to allow Liam to continue speaking. Lucaiel initially protested that there was no need to listen, but with Harianna’s persuasion, he agreed to at least hear him out.
After taking a deep breath, Liam spoke.
“Facing Altheaf is still a concern for us.”
He didn’t mention Alicia. It didn’t work well in convincing them.
Liam expressed his honest opinion. With the information he had, just from the original, Nikola couldn’t bear the fear, dropped out of the academy, and quite a few students suffered trauma. Some even had irreversible large scars.
While the academy was undoubtedly an institution for nurturing heroes, there were challenges that came at the right time. Liam felt that this exam, more than anything else, was too early, as he read the original.
Pushing fledgling birds off a cliff before they could properly spread their wings. This episode was not right. It should be delayed further or, if unavoidable, removed altogether.
…Liam might not realize, but he had witnessed Bargan radically altering the course, and he was being influenced by it.
Normally, he would have followed the established safe path, but now he was advancing more aggressively.
Listening to Liam’s argument, Lucaiel scratched his temple with his finger.
“Hey, listen carefully. This final exam has been a tradition long before we were here. I might not care much about traditions, but it’s the path our seniors have all walked.”
Lucaiel’s sharp fangs were exposed threateningly. He stared at Liam as if he could see through him and continued speaking.
“Are you suggesting we all cower like cowards, trembling in fear?”
“…Well, let me add further evidence here.”
Liam pulled out a paper that had been neatly wrapped in his pocket. Unfolding it, a large area was densely filled with writing.
He pointed to a specific part.
“These are the casualties from last year’s practical training. Fortunately, no one lost their lives, but there were twelve students who suffered injuries. Three of them gave up on becoming heroes and left.”
Examining last year’s records, Liam gradually backed up his argument as he delved into the past. There were even years when dozens were injured and two died.
“This information is a direct transcription from the records kept in the academy’s library. You know that the books stored in the library have undergone numerous validations, right?”
While the academy was famous for preserving all records as they were, ultimately, they were just someone’s notes.
Perhaps the figures written down were slightly modified, refined language.
As the story became more complicated, Lucaiel nervously scratched his head.
“Oh, …wait, what’s this? It’s getting weirder again. If you had solid evidence and arguments, you should have spoken up sooner. You could have resolved it gently without resorting to extreme measures of destroying the nest by yourself, right?”
Liam lowered his head.
This method is not a solution but rather a scheme that prevents the use of the words ‘mistakes and misunderstandings’ which are now being put into action.
“Every year, there is a proposal to replace the practice at this nest with a different test, but more than half of the people are opposing it. It’s already been over 15 years of this vicious cycle.”
This was similar to the argument Lucaiel had brought up.
Academia, compared to other countries or groups, was a significantly modern organization in terms of ideology, but it was still a different world, and the water within the group tends to run deep.
The proposal always failed to pass due to the strong opposition from professors and officials who value tradition and etiquette.
To raise this proposal to the higher authorities and, similarly, to destroy the nest even after it was rejected, is a clearly intentional and planned act.
“So, I plan to destroy the nest by resorting to extremes to avoid mistakes and misunderstandings.”
This was for Alicia’s sake and also a preparation for the future generations.
Originally prepared to protect Alicia and Nicola, as the investigation progressed, the distrust towards the exam itself and the belief in its abolition deepened.
Lucaiel released the impression he had been making and, with an expanded sense of a beast, stared into Liam’s eyes.
“Is this for real?”
“It is. I am prepared to face criticism.”
After the exam started, Liam said he would break away from the crossroads and head towards the actual altar.
The reason he revealed this to his teammates was to seek understanding and apologize for the inevitable harm, and to prevent secondary losses that might occur in the process of finding himself suddenly disappearing during the exam.
“Tsk. Trying to act cool alone.”
Sitting roughly on the chair, Lucaiel crossed his legs and shivered. It was his way of expressing that he would no longer argue.
“Are you really okay? It would be difficult to find the location of the altar…”
“I have a plan for that. Don’t worry. Just pretend you don’t know. …Please.”
In response to Harianna’s worried question, Liam nodded with a bow.
Through the novel, the actual location of the altar is known.
Just in case, he even drew it to retrace his steps, so as long as nothing changes internally, he can find it.
Liam felt someone tugging at his sleeve and looked down. It was the shy Nicola.
“I want to help Liam…”
She intended not only to pretend not to know but also to act with him to help destroy the core.
“No, Nicola. This is my burden. Just because we are in the same group doesn’t mean I can risk further harm.”
Nicola pulled his sleeve even more forcefully.
She, who had never been able to meet his eyes, faced Liam properly.
“I want to help Liam.”
“….”
With a determination he had not shown before, Nicola asserted her position. The fact that her hand was trembling slightly indicated a sign of a firm resolve.
“Nicola…”
“I’ll help too. I know how hard it has been for you as a leader, and as a noble, I can’t just turn a blind eye to this.”
When Ophelia also declared that she would support Liam, Harianna followed suit. It was indeed unsettling, but she believed that what Liam was doing was right.
“Tsk. Isn’t everyone’s brain made of muscles? Saying they’ll follow such a plan…”
“Lucaiel is right. There’s no need for everyone to go this far. It’s enough if it’s my unilateral action; I don’t want everyone to be involved in this.”
“I am still against it. And Harianna won’t participate in that plan either.”
“Lukaiel…! Will I help Liam?”
“No. No matter how valid Liam’s argument seems, we don’t need to bear that level of risk burden.”
Lukaiel held Hariana’s hand hidden under the desk. He extracted the side she was trying to keep hidden.
“If you’re this anxious, who are you trying to help?”
“But still….”
“Liam. Let’s make one thing clear.”
Lukaiel’s wolf-like eyes turned towards Liam. The beast’s eyes became more serious.
“We are teammates, and what you want is for us to keep our mouths shut. Right?”
“Right.”
“So keeping our mouths shut is enough.”
“Yes. I said it, but I don’t want to cause more trouble for you guys.”
Having received confirmation from Liam’s mouth, Lukaiel pulled the hand he was holding, making Hariana’s gaze turn towards him.
Their gazes crossed, and she became flustered. Hariana hesitated.
Taking her remaining hand, Nicella smiled softly. It was an action to support Hariana.
“…Liam, Ophelia, and I will watch over him.”
“……”
“Hariana and Lukaiel will help Liam in a different way.”
Just not telling others about Liam’s plan was already helping him enough. Nicella was saying that.
Hariana bowed her head and muttered an apology. Nicella embraced her.
And after a while, when everyone’s choices were firm, they all looked at Liam.
Liam engraved each of them in his eyes. Unwavering, firmness settled in, no matter what they said.
Their methods might differ, but everyone was there for Liam.
“Everyone….”
It was a brief encounter that lasted just over three months. But it had become an invaluable presence for Liam.
“Thank you.”
Liam expressed his sincere gratitude to them.
……
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Alone in the room, a faint vibration of unfairness reached Liam’s ears.
A momentary memory disguised as cozy warmth.
It transformed into a sinister intent aimed at Liam’s neck.
Thump, thump. His heart ached.
Trying to grasp that heart, he couldn’t because of the fingers wrapped in bandages.
“Lukaiel… Hariana… Ophelia….”
With a cracked voice, their names came out one by one.
In unbearable guilt, extreme despair, not even daring to hold those names in his mouth. They were forced out.
“Nicella….”
Contrary to his dry throat, a single tear rolled down Liam’s eye. The tear only indicated a special skill opening in a semi-transparent window.
Liam’s breath choked, his agony intensified. His heart raced frantically, blood spinning abnormally fast.
…Again.
I want to do it again.
I want to beat up that past self who made such a foolish decision, regret the past, and kill him.
It’s a novel. This world is a creation.
You can’t turn back the pages, can you?
There’s no skill for that, is there?
Really… There’s no way to turn back…?
*Bam!*
Liam was in chaos. After finishing the final exam, he returned to Academia from the unfair infirmary. He swept away various medical tools scattered around him.
Wrapped in bandages, he sheds tears of blood. A few days ago, he cried his heart out, regretting all the choices and time of that day.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…!”
The infirmary sank into darkness.
The light coming in through the wide window created Liam’s shadow.
The shadow was darker than when it would be cast by the midday sun.
“aaah…!! aaah????!”
The sound of wailing, without a clear source, danced with the shadow.
*All events occurred during the 1st semester final exam.*