109 — Fistfights Aren’t Always Wrong

1

After her interview, Anais stretched with a long yawn.

It felt as if the tangled mess inside her head had cleared away completely.

She had answered the questions quite clearly, too.

[I want to create an academy where no one is left out.]

This was Anais’s vision for the academy.

The theme she wanted to set for the student council she would lead.

It was harmony.

She still remembered the gentle smiles of the professors at the end.

How had Kael done?

What kind of answers was she giving right now?

As Anais waited outside the auditorium for her, she suddenly felt unsure about what to say.

‘How shameless can you be, Anais? Showing up like this… Ugh.’

But she was grateful Kael had accepted her nonetheless.

Senior Manus had been right.

Wounds in the heart could be healed with time, he had said.

Scars might remain, but the wounds would eventually close.

Despite how brief it had been, the intense emotions between them had simmered down.

When resentment, anger, and moments of heated emotions faded, you naturally began to reflect on yourself.

That’s what had happened for both of them—they had reflected on their actions and had time to repent.

While Anais was lost in thought, waiting, Kael emerged from the room.

Her face looked quite bright.

“Did it go well?”

“Yeah, what about you?”

“Same here. I think I said everything I needed to.”

The two of them walked side by side.

The conversation ended with Kael nodding in response to Anais’s words.

Only the sound of their footsteps echoed through the hallway as they walked.

After a moment of thought, Kael turned to Anais and spoke.

“No matter who wins this time, let’s not hold grudges.”

“Yeah. Of course. And… I’m sorry for last time.”

“I wasn’t perfect either. To be honest, maybe those feelings were real.”

How could people who’ve recognized their own faults walk around with their heads held high?

Neither of them could point out the other’s mistakes without acknowledging their own flaws.

Recognizing this was what allowed them to move forward, to heal.

They smiled at each other.

Yes, this was what friendship was.

A bond that could be repaired with honest conversation, even after emotions had been hurt.

Kael and Anais were slowly coming to understand what it meant to be true friends.

“Let’s shake off whatever negative feelings we have in the final round.”

“Sounds good. Even if I lose, I’ll make sure it’s a fair fight.”

Talking with each other like this was easier than they had expected.

Once the flow of reconciliation had been opened, it didn’t seem like it would end anytime soon.

They say the ground hardens after the rain.

No matter how tough things got from now on, they would trust each other more than ever.

2

Meanwhile, at that very moment, Manus had just finished checking the student roster at the assistant’s office.

The name on the boy’s badge had been “Gradi.”

However, that name was nowhere to be found.

And where had he gotten his uniform from?

Manus sighed softly, feeling like he had gotten tangled up in something strange for no good reason.

It was probably best to ignore it as much as possible.

The boy didn’t seem like someone who would harm those around him.

“Hey, Manus!”

On his way to the library, Manus noticed Nia approaching him quickly.

What could it be?

Nia was always known for her lazy and relaxed demeanor.

But right now, she looked quite urgent.

“What is it?”

“This is a disaster!”

Nia had dashed straight up to him with a frantic expression.

Manus frowned slightly, rummaging through his memories to see what could have gone wrong.

There wasn’t anything that came to mind. Strange.

With a very serious look on her face, Nia spoke.

“I can’t remember our assignment from yesterday. What do I do?”

“…”

What was this feeling?

Should he just hit her?

Manus’s mana began to stir violently.

Seeing this, Nia quickly took a step back.

Apparently, she had already thought up some sort of excuse, as she replied desperately.

She wasn’t joking.

If she provoked him, the whole building might just get blown away.

“No, no, no! Just listen to me! This really is serious!”

“Are you finished with your last words?”

“Aaah! Please just hear me out—!”

Nia thought she had come to Manus with a truly serious issue, but she hadn’t expected this kind of intense reaction.

Mages were supposed to be intelligent, after all.

Was constructing a magic circle an easy task?

To survive, you needed to cram a vast amount of knowledge into your head.

For a mage to forget a single assignment?

It didn’t make sense.

Especially when other mages remembered, but she alone didn’t.

“So, will you just tell me?”

It was only after she had run around for a good while that Nia finally managed to explain her situation.

Seeing that she was genuinely serious, Manus calmed down and listened.

He figured he should start by telling her the assignment.

“The assignment is to research the amplification of elemental magic power and create your own magic formula. It needs to be fifteen pages of parchment.”

“Oh, right? That sounds familiar… Got it. Thanks.”

Nia stuck out her tongue and smiled with her eyes.

After taking a few steps away, she turned back to him.

Far enough that Manus couldn’t easily grab her.

“You know, you’re really suspicious.”

Manus didn’t reply. He just looked at her blankly.

It had to be Nia who had been following him around these past few days.

What was it now that made her distrust him?

“I’m going to keep watching you. And I’m going to get stronger than you. Don’t do anything suspicious around those cute kids.”

“…Excessive paranoia can be an illness.”

“This isn’t paranoia! I’ll keep following you and keeping you in check. Who knows? Maybe I’ll thwart your grand ambitions and become a hero.”

Manus shook his head and turned away.

There was no need to respond to someone not worth the effort.

Strange things had been happening lately, that much was clear.

When both moons reached their fullness.

It was said to have a significant impact on people’s emotions.

Perhaps that was what was going on.

In the distance, he spotted two women walking side by side.

‘Did they already make up?’

He had thought it would take a bit longer, but it seemed their bond was stronger than he had imagined.

The passionate red hair.

The calm blue hair.

Though their personalities were opposite, their concern for one another was remarkably similar.

That was enough.

Considering their relationship in the original story, they would become the closest of friends.

Wishing that their friendship would last a lifetime, Manus continued walking.

‘Just a little bit more.’

The pursuit of knowledge always excited him.

It was the power that allowed him to do things he had never been able to do back in reality.

The summit was in sight.

3

A place with a clear view of both towers.

The entire world was painted in dark green as a man appeared.

Below him lay the Death Tower, its base cut into the sheer cliff.

Grinning slyly, he gazed up at the crimson moons in the sky.

The two full moons that appeared once every three months.

It wouldn’t be long now.

“Ah… just a little more, and soon I can offer the sacrifice.”

He spread his arms wide, gazing at the unfolding scene as if admiring a beautiful piece of art.

What a breathtaking view.

How magnificent it was to watch the world inch closer to destruction each day.

How beautiful were the faces of those who struggled and screamed in despair!

The time when the boundary between the two worlds was at its thinnest.

The only time when inhabitants of the sealed world could venture out.

The man was waiting for that day.

“How is the sacrifice coming along?”

“We are looking for an appropriate location.”

“Before the god descends, the emissaries will arrive first. The first emissary will soon descend upon this land.”

So make sure there are no mistakes—prepare thoroughly.

The man spoke, then turned around.

After taking a few steps, he saw a document thrust into his path.

Rustle—

In the eerie starlight, the sound of flipping through the document was all that could be heard.

Several names written on the yellowed parchment were crossed out in red.

“Caesar… Caesar… A figure that has interfered time and time again.”

“None of those who ventured there have returned alive.”

“Coincidentally, isn’t one of their descendants attending here?”

The man’s eyes flashed with danger as he looked towards the academy.

Caesar.

One of the great families dedicated to protecting humanity.

To create the world of his dreams, they had to be eliminated.

But they weren’t the only ones.

The Harrison family had also sent a descendant here.

By coincidence, both heirs were the same age.

“…Interesting.”

“May I handle this?”

“You’re here, I see. Have you prepared to make up for your previous failure?”

The man, bowing his head, nodded in affirmation.

How could he forget?

He might have been twisted, but he was still human.

Failure stirred up emotions of frustration and ignited his determination.

Even if he was broken, he wasn’t without emotions.

Having tasted failure twice now, he was filled with a burning desire to redeem himself.

If anything, being twisted made those emotions even more explosive.

“I will succeed this time, Executor.”

“Good. This time, I’ll provide you with a better tool.”

“Thank you.”

The one called the Executor handed over a map.

He had intended to give it earlier, but the timing hadn’t been right until now.

He felt for his subordinate, who had lost a Drake.

For a subordinate who had only left behind the words, ‘I did what I had to do to survive,’ he could only offer comfort.

Executor believed himself to be generous and invested heavily in his subordinates.

It was an extremely rare artifact.

If properly weaponized, it would ensure there wouldn’t be a repeat of the previous failure.

“I expect you to live up to my expectations, Wanderer.”

“I will. I must. I have unfinished business.”

Hehehe—

Executor felt a pang of empathy for the half-crazed laughter of the man before him.

Wanderer stared at the map, then prostrated himself, pressing his elbows, knees, and forehead to the ground.

A gesture of total submission and loyalty.

In exchange for loyalty, Wanderer had always received good things.

What was impossible with his own power became possible with this man’s support.

That’s why his loyalty never wavered.

See? Even now, he was being blessed.

“I will return by the appointed time.”

“Make sure you do.”

His personality might have been broken, but before his benefactor, Wanderer always tried to appear normal.

He bowed respectfully and hurriedly prepared to leave on his journey.

Revenge?

No, this was not a petty, personal grudge—he moved for a just cause.

‘Wait for me.’

Someone’s twisted mind bent emotions out of shape.

Where would such twisted feelings lead?

Today, as always, Wanderer walked his path.

–TL Notes–
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