Chater 98 — Rival
1
Kael was alone in the club room, left in a state of confusion.
She couldn’t understand why Anais had made such a choice or why she had grown to dislike Manus.
Her own mistakes tormented her less than these unanswered questions.
Why did Anais hate Manus?
He’s done so much for us…
Kael’s eyes grew dim with turmoil.
But Anais’s words still pricked at her conscience.
‘Could it really be true? Was I…?’
Anais had accused her of viewing herself and their friends as mere subordinates.
Even though Kael denied it, could it have been true?
She ran her hands through her hair, messing it up, but it only made her thoughts more tangled.
A month—it’s a short time if you think of it that way, and long if you think of it another.
Was it really right to be so divided at a time like this, when they had so many journeys ahead and who knew what disasters lay in wait?
Kael’s mind screamed at her to wake up, to get it together.
But her heart still couldn’t understand Anais.
“Haaaah…”
She let out a deep, heavy sigh—something uncharacteristic of her.
As she stared vacantly out the window, the door to the club room opened.
Her eyes instinctively followed the person entering, and then they widened in shock.
His deep black hair and sharp, handsome features looked even colder than usual today.
Had he heard the news? Or did he come without knowing anything?
“You’re here,” she said, her voice shaky.
“Seems like no one else is here.”
“Yeah. It’s already late.”
“Why are you here alone?”
Kael averted her gaze.
Manus sat down across from her and asked directly,
“The atmosphere isn’t good. What happened?”
“Well, that is…”
Kael hesitated, biting her lip, then closed her eyes tightly and decided to speak.
Even though Anais had said such things, she was still a friend.
She must have been struggling, and Kael didn’t want to burden her with Manus’s anger.
So, even though it hurt, she carefully chose her words to protect her friend.
She wanted to handle this issue with Anais herself.
“I… I said something harsh. I guess she’d been under a lot of stress.”
“For example?”
“Well, you see…”
Kael explained in a calm voice.
She thought Manus might not know much about the atmosphere since he rarely went with them to the tower.
She tried to explain in a way that wouldn’t cause trouble for Anais.
To anyone else, it might have seemed like she was being overly considerate, but it was just her nature to be that kind-hearted.
Manus listened quietly as she spoke.
Inwardly, he felt a sense of satisfaction but kept his expression serious given the heavy atmosphere.
‘She really is the protagonist.’
“…That’s what happened,” she concluded.
“I see.”
Manus nodded and stood up.
Kael had been hoping for something more, but all Manus offered was a single word of encouragement.
“Good luck.”
“…Thank you.”
“A friend is someone you can fall out with and still come back to. As long as what Anais did wasn’t too serious, just give it some time.”
“So, I want to ask you something. I’m the only one who can handle her full strength.”
“That’s a good approach.”
Kael was wise.
She was kind, but not reckless.
She was calm and quick in her judgments.
That applied to relationships as well.
She found a way to deal with this herself.
She accepted her friend’s challenge, intending to clear the air after they both released their frustrations.
“The time ahead will be uncomfortable, but you’ll come out stronger for it.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t hold too much against Anais.”
With those final words, Manus turned and left.
Kael responded with a quiet nod.
As he left, she rose from her seat as well.
Despite what she had said earlier, Anais truly was an incredibly talented mage.
Especially in fire magic, she surpassed Kael.
Kael had broader versatility and could learn anything, but maybe that was the problem—she hadn’t yet shown the deep understanding that Anais had.
‘This is a challenge I have to overcome.’
She stared out the window, her resolve hardening.
Yes.
Manus wasn’t a god.
He had helped her greatly, but there were some things he shouldn’t interfere with.
This was a challenge she had to solve on her own.
‘I’m not interested in the Student Council President position, but…’
At least she wouldn’t be pushed into it.
This was a path she had chosen.
#2
Midnight.
Anais cautiously scanned her surroundings before stepping out of the dormitory.
After everything she had been through today, it seemed like no one else was heading to the tower.
Good.
Time to go.
Anais dashed down the red-carpeted hallway and cut across the empty corridors.
Fearing that she might get caught if she used the elevator, she hurried down the stairs.
Even though the dormitory was quite high up, her determination was unstoppable.
“Huff, huff! I hope no one saw me…”
She reached the shadowy corner of the dormitory, panting and glancing around nervously.
She was about to move further into the darkness when she heard a voice.
“Shall I accompany you?”
“Ahhhhh?!”
“Oh my, my apologies.”
Startled by the sudden voice, Anais nearly collapsed.
She turned her trembling body and saw a woman in nightwear standing there.
Her voice was unmistakable—she heard it every morning when the maids were being organized.
Anais exhaled shakily and shouted,
“You scared me!”
“I apologize. The young master instructed me to move discreetly. I didn’t realize you’d be so startled… Hehe.”
“Ugh… Anyway, can you take me there?”
“Of course.”
Aden’s eyes curved gently as she smiled.
She took Anais’s hand and used her ability.
No one could stop them in the shadows.
Schrrk.
Anais thought she heard a strange sound.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself in front of the golden clock in the lobby.
There, Manus stood alone, looking up at the clock.
“I brought her, young master.”
“Thank you.”
“May I observe as well today?”
“If you wish.”
Aden smiled brightly.
Anais realized she wouldn’t be climbing the tower alone.
And then she noticed the white creature beside Manus.
Wait, was that always there?
Her curiosity was soon answered by Aden.
“That’s Albion. It’s grown a lot, hasn’t it?”
“Do familiars usually grow this quickly?”
“It’s beyond my knowledge, but yes, it has.”
Albion turned its head toward Anais and let out a soft growl.
A white, furry dragon.
Even its wings were covered in fluffy fur.
“Albion?”
Albion seemed to understand her, nodding slightly.
It was a very clever creature.
Manus petted Albion’s head and said to Anais,
“Your partner today is this one, Anais.”
“What about the two of you?”
“We’re here to assist if needed.”
They would step in if necessary but otherwise wouldn’t interfere.
Manus planned to focus on absorbing the mana stones Albion brought back.
His goal was to gain overwhelming power.
He could give some stones to Aden, though that would leave him with less, but it would be enough for now.
The purpose of this grind was Albion’s growth and Anais’s rapid leveling up.
Manus allowed a slight smile to form as he spoke.
“Are you ready, Student Council President candidate?”
“-Yes, of course.”
Anais’s eyes shone with determination.
Climbing the tower on her own strength—this was something she had never considered.
The tower was dangerous, always pushing her to the brink.
She cautiously asked Albion, who had been watching her closely,
“What abilities do you have?”
“Healing magic and buff magic.”
“No direct combat magic?”
“We’ll have to find out.”
In truth, Manus already knew what Albion was capable of.
But it wouldn’t be fun to reveal that.
He didn’t want Anais to rely on Albion during the battles.
He honestly hadn’t expected Albion to grow so much.
At this point, Albion could probably take down a low-level sentinel on its own.
That’s why he kept its abilities a secret from Anais.
“Albion, go experience some real combat. It’s training time.”
Albion let out a small growl and nodded.
Its master seemed strict, but he was incredibly kind.
A familiar’s purpose was to assist its master.
But Albion felt like it had only been receiving help from its master so far.
He was like a father, always giving without hesitation.
Now it was time to repay him.
Manus, as if reading Albion’s thoughts, smiled and petted its head.
“Then, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
They chose a suitable floor and vanished into the tower.
The ticking of the clock echoed in the empty lobby.
#3
The next day.
Anais didn’t attend class with her usual confidence.
Though everyone in Class A, except Emerson, was worried about her, no one said a word.
She’ll come back when she’s ready.
After all, she was still a student, so it wasn’t like she could skip class every day.
The students in Class A found it particularly hard to focus today.
Among them, Pearson was occupied with thoughts different from the others.
‘Manus will handle it…’
What was surprising was that Manus had shown up to class.
If they had both gone to the tower, shouldn’t only one have returned?
Could something have gone wrong?
Pearson chewed on his nails, deciding that if something had happened to Anais, he would confront Manus about it.
It was a worst-case scenario, and it seemed unlikely, but…
He gulped and resolved to go ask Manus about it later.
He just needed to make it to break time.
He couldn’t hear a single word of what the professor was saying at the front.
Anais, are you doing okay?
His worries began to spiral into dark thoughts.
But Pearson shook his head, trying to dispel the negativity.
No need to waste energy on something that hasn’t even happened yet.
‘By the way, are they still planning to climb the tower?’
What if they ran into her there?
They probably wouldn’t want to go up in this atmosphere.
Or maybe a fired-up Kael would insist on it?
He wondered how things would unfold.
Pearson quietly watched the room as the lesson dragged on.
Finally, the break he had been waiting for arrived, and just as he was about to stand up and find Manus, someone spoke.
“Please give us your attention.”
It was one of the assistants in charge of the first years.
Normally confined to their research, the appearance of the assistants indicated that something significant was happening at the academy.
They were holding a stack of papers, which they began to distribute.
At a glance, Pearson saw the title: Student Council President Candidate Application.
–TL Notes–
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