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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Magical Beast Commotion (2)
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Eliya Chrisanax's impression of Dawood Campbell could be summed up in one word.
A weirdo.
He was utterly unpredictable from head to toe.
Not just because peeling back his layers revealed nothing but more suspicious onions, but because he always acted in ways no one could anticipate.
'...Is he mad?'
And that applied to his current silence at the freshman welcome event, where he sat with his lips sealed tight, not saying a word.
She'd thought that since he'd accepted her partnership request without hesitation yesterday, they'd chat and get to know each other today.
But not a peep. Even when she tried starting conversations, all she got were curt replies like "Yeah." or "Sure."
Normally, that might feel off-putting, but she had no idea some 'option' was overriding her instincts to make it otherwise.
'...How do you deal with an angry guy?'
Fortunately for Dawood, she was the type with ape-level social skills when it came to men.
She could bulldoze through work relationships with a poker face, but in something equal like friendship? Her brain short-circuited.
Even if he really was pissed, she couldn't help it. Hadn't she tried beating the crap out of him at their first meeting?
Sure, getting mad about that now was a bit off-timing, but she couldn't deny he might feel that way.
'But I need to get closer to learn about the Tristan Ducal House...'
Lost in those thoughts as she walked, she suddenly found herself in the Berkeley Hall basement.
She must have unconsciously headed for an empty spot. They were the only ones around.
"Whoa..."
She grimaced, scanning the cages scattered everywhere.
Inside were live magical beasts, clearly brought in as research materials for the academy.
'Even a mid-sized one mixed in. No way.'
A mid-sized magical beast required at least a full knight squad to handle. Keeping one alive in a student-packed academy was insane.
"The professors are so irresponsible. Special cages or not, leaving this around like it's nothing..."
She clicked her tongue and leaned closer to a cage.
That must have done it.
She spotted a mana composite in a spot invisible from outside.
"..."
Before she could fully register it, her battle-hardened brain had already run the calculations.
This thing.
Was exploding in seconds.
"Teacher, get back—!"
Even as she shouted, flames erupted in front of her.
The blaze filled her vision, rushing toward her face, and Eliya froze.
She'd normally dodge nimbly.
But those pure white flames closing in.
Triggered dusty memories buried deep.
-Eliya, here, hide here! Don't come out no matter what!
-Damn devil worshippers, over here! Come kill me if you can!
Explosion. Flames. Screams. Footsteps. Acrid stench. Burning family photo. Glinting knife on pooled blood. Corpses.
"..."
But before she could shake the images, the flames surged at her.
'Danger...!'
As that vague thought crossed her mind.
Someone slammed into her full-force.
Then a brutal collision with the floor. Rolling several times with a clatter, a groan escaped Eliya's lips.
"Ah, ow..."
Thankfully, the sharp pain snapped her back to reality enough to think straight.
Which let her recognize Dawood Campbell sprawled atop her, battered to hell.
"..."
Hideous burns across his back. Broken limbs. Gashes from shrapnel crisscrossing his body.
Injuries from shielding her in the blast. Critical. He'd die without immediate treatment.
"T-Teacher. Wait. Just wait. Why, why did you do that?"
Realizing it, she stammered in a trembling voice.
Why? Why on earth?
Hadn't he acted pissed at her just moments ago? She knew she had reasons to piss him off.
More importantly, hadn't he said he liked the Tristan Duchess?
No reason for him to go this far for someone openly at odds with her.
"..."
Dawood Campbell—or rather, his clone—laboriously lifted his head to look at her.
A plain clone without options might have explained its purpose: drawing enemy fire in combat to protect the original.
That's what point-shop clones were for.
But this one, with the 'Cool Gentleman' option, deemed explanations un-cool.
One line would suffice.
"Because it's my job."
"..."
As Eliya blinked, speechless, the clone smiled contentedly and slumped to the floor.
In his mind, a perfectly cool gentlemanly exit...
-!
-!!
But hearing the ungentle roars that followed, Eliya's face hardened.
The blast had shattered cages, freeing all the beasts inside.
"...I don't know what that means exactly."
Muttering, Eliya stood.
Status check.
Joints swollen in several places. No normal movement possible. No weapon. Just a rebar-stuck metal rod.
Opponents: real magical beasts, not training dummies. Six of them.
Even one small beast could shred multiple grown men. Regular knights would flee from this number.
"..."
If Kendrid Margrave, who'd taught her combat, saw this, he'd faint in shock.
Avoid unfavorable fights. Running isn't shameful. He'd drilled that in endlessly.
But.
"Ha."
Her gaze fell on the man in the corner.
What a ridiculous guy. Compelled to save everyone in danger or something?
'My job.' Yeah, right.
She pulled a potion vial from her belt.
Top-grade, handed over by Kendrid Margrave for emergencies only. Rare, one per year.
Normally, she'd use it on herself to keep fighting.
"..."
But without hesitation, she splashed it on Dawood Campbell.
"Saving people is the hero's job, right?"
So.
Don't die here.
"Mm..."
Injured against six beasts.
"Piece of cake."
When there's someone to protect.
It really was that simple for her.
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[Updating Main Quest!]
[Main Quest]
[Mana Beasts Appeared! Suppress the Incident!]
[Too many deaths will incur a severe scenario penalty!]
[Reward: Exclusive Equipment Material]
Just kill me already, you bastards.
Unleash a horde of beasts where freshmen's swarming and keep casualties minimal?
"Hold on, where are you going?!"
"I've got something to do! President, go find a priest!"
I shouted back at Elnor screaming after my rushing figure.
"Protect the students first!"
Yelling that, I moved.
'Priorities first.'
Assuming Elnor fetches a priest to minimize casualties, initial response is key. Thin their numbers before they hit upstairs, fewer deaths.
Racing to the basement with that in mind, what I found was.
"...Huh."
My melted clone, durability spent on the floor, and Eliya battling ghost-like amid beast corpses.
Five of six down, mid-finisher on the last.
"..."
Real beasts, not dummies, all soloed with a metal rod?
Is she even human?
Scenario-wise, Eliya doesn't frontline like this. Pre-hero awakening, she's calculated.
She fights like that only when...
"..."
Protecting someone she really cares for.
And only my clone was here.
Why the bad feeling.
'...Not now!'
Before she noticed, I recovered the gooey clone. Two identical guys? Suspicious.
Meanwhile, Eliya finished the last beast with a sigh, wiping sweat.
"Hoo..."
Spotting me awkwardly seated with the clone retrieved, our eyes met.
"..."
Her face lit up. Even exhausted, arms limp, she beamed with pride.
"...You're safe."
[Target 'Eliya Chrisanax's favorability stage has changed!]
[Favorability upgraded from 'Curiosity' to 'Interest'!]
[New rewards available!]
[Second gift unlock probability increased!]
[Important character. Main scenario will change!]
"..."
Then an unwelcome window scrolled up.
No clue what happened for this sudden pop-up, but.
"All the escaped beasts accounted for?"
Question first.
She replied with exasperated vibes.
"You're awake and that's your first question?"
"...?"
Awake? Just got here.
"If any escaped, people die! Hurry!"
Main Quest priority. No idea the penalty scale, but it's what I avoided.
Urging her, Eliya facepalmed in disbelief.
"You're consistent, really. Is this how you always are?"
Sighing, she slumped. Beating six beasts injured? Limits hit.
"Missed one mid-sized. Probably heading to first floor by now, so if we hurry, we can—"
She passed out mid-sentence. Confirmed.
"Thanks!"
Won't hear it anyway. Left that and bolted upstairs.
Cursed stamina made stairs hell, but pushing till my breath reeked of blood, I caught up.
Students huddled inside Elpante's emergency 'isolation barrier.'
Staff herding them inside, barely holding the barrier.
Smart call.
Academy combat teams en route from the chaos. Better not fight and risk more deaths. Stall, and even mid-sized gets handled.
Problem.
-!
-!!
-!!!
Bear-like mid-sized beast roaring, cracking the barrier with paws.
Even max reinforcements, it's cracking.
Mid-sized need knight squads with prep to fell. Holding this long is impressive.
'Priest...!'
If only Elnor brought one quick.
Priests reinforce barriers solo, buy tons of time.
Scanning desperately, spotted Elnor at vision's edge.
With a robed figure— she did it. Competent.
"So you can't reinforce the barrier—what kind of nonsense is that?!"
"I told you. Blocking that needs angelic blessing. Deploying bare-handed is suicide."
"But people will—!"
"Then you want me to die instead?"
Bickering. Not smooth.
'...Can't bless?'
Academy priest level can summon blessing-level via prayer, sans angel meet.
But pays hefty 'cost.' Hence suicide talk.
Why I skipped personal blessing, stored in Ultrim.
World-unknown trick: infuse item, weaker effect, zero backlash.
'But that attitude...?'
Glared at arguing priest.
No holy relic in emergency? Unacceptable.
Making excuses to bail?
As Elnor raged, robed priest stood arms-crossed, unmoved. Even smirking faintly.
'Damn.'
This academy's full of lunatics. Grumbling, approached priest.
"You're dragging politics into this?! Emergency, lives at stake!"
"Ha, the Tristan Ducal House is—"
"Then give it here."
Dropped that amid their spat.
Elnor and priest turned.
"...What?"
"No relic? You must have emergency gear. You value your neck enough. Can't bless? I will."
Silence.
"...Hey. Student's spouting what? Know what blessing—"
Too annoying, snatched small rosary from priest's back pocket rough. Delay more, barrier breaks. Seconds count.
Before he spoke, spun and dashed to Berkeley Hall.
Elnor gawking wide-eyed as I ran—kinda, well.
Anxious, but.
[Target 'Elnor's status change imminent.]
[Post-action, irreversible!]
[Prepare!]
"..."
Message doubled the anxiety, cold sweat, but.
'Don't care! Later!'
Bad omens galore anyway. Main Quest first. Fail this, I'm screwed!
Prep Ultrim. Jam rosary into left arm, draw blood.
Burning pain, blue light on rosary. Emergency priest gear mixes blood for mini-mana battery.
"Good."
Sigh, drop rosary in censer. Infused censer glows blue in response.
[Skill 'Asceticism' available!]
[Skill 'Holy Shield' available!]
Confirm windows, hurl self between beast and barrier.
"What, what?!"
"Student! What are you doing?! Move now!"
Panicked staff voices behind barrier.
Looks insane, but I have backup.
[Emergency detected.]
[Direct life threat judged.]
[Skill: Desperate Situation applied at EX rank.]
Others trigger.
[Using Skill: Asceticism.]
[All stat bonuses converted to endurance.]
[Using Skill: Holy Shield.]
[Generating shield.]
Translucent blue barrier appeared.
Desperate Situation bonus stats all-in shield. Toughness unknown, but mid-sized won't crack easy.
"Student! That won't do shit! Run! Leave to us—!"
"...Can't. That's why I'm here."
"...What?"
"Evac students outside. I'll stall with this."
Yeah, well.
Goal: buy time. Not kill it.
That much, doable.
"..."
Bear-beast's gaze locked on me. Yellow eyes blazed murderous.
Eye contact, deep breath.
Calm mind and body.
Mistake means death, but hey.
"Come at me, you bastard."
Just don't screw up.
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