In Heroic Academy, there exists a system called the Memorial Link.
‘To put it simply, each character has an item imbued with memories. If that character possesses it, they gain special effects.’
While it might hold no value for other characters, if the right character acquires such an item, it can wield considerable power.
Naturally, the means to obtain these items are not easy.
‘The basic condition is that you must complete the game at least once in any way, and then start a new game.’
It’s not just about leveling up a new character; as previously mentioned, this is a fundamental requirement for the Memorial Link.
‘After that, you really have to set out to find the items for the Memorial Link. Of course, clues must be gathered by exploring the accounts you previously played.’
The item list is revealed, but how to obtain them remains unknown.
That is the true difficulty of the Memorial Link.
‘It will require scouring the entire map again… but if you can get it, it will become quite a valuable item.’
For instance, there is the deer plush toy, an item for Ariel Volkanov’s Memorial Link.
After restarting the game, during the period when Ian steps down from the role of acting head of the family, he can acquire it by going to her room while clearing chapters.
If he gives it to her, the Memorial Link activates, granting immunity to mental attacks and a ridiculous effect of damage correction for all skills.
‘An item that offers a corresponding reward for the difficulty in obtaining it. That’s what activates the Memorial Link.’
The Memorial Link was not exclusive to Ariel.
There were also items for those who would later appear as playable characters.
In other words, it meant that items for Celia Wignoron, Reina, and Bianca Matip also existed.
And that was why.
“What is this…?”
“Do you remember, Ian?”
Celia was surprised to see the gift.
What she had prepared was a necklace.
A string made of leather with a Christmas Rose, protected by a preservation spell, embedded in the center.
It wasn’t a chain made of high-quality metal, nor was it adorned with expensive gems.
It was merely a simple string made of commonly seen animal hide, with a flower hanging from it.
But Ian couldn’t help but freeze at the sight of the gift she presented.
‘A Christmas Rose necklace… This must be Celia’s item for the Memorial Link. Wearing it grants a passive effect that allows a 10% chance to survive lethal damage.’
It was far too important an item for her.
Why would she want to give this to him?
Just then, her earlier words echoed in his mind.
‘Do you remember?’
What on earth did that mean?
Did this item hold memories of him and Celia?
As if reading Ian’s thoughts, Celia smiled awkwardly and continued.
“It was the necklace you made for me when you were young… When I expressed a desire to see flowers other than hyacinths, we wandered around the forest together looking for this, right?”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah. When I said I wanted to see this flower forever because it was beautiful… you used preservation magic to make this necklace for me.”
Given the characteristics of the northern region, it was not easy to see flowers.
The only ones that could be found were the hyacinths densely packed on the back mountain.
However, in response to Celia’s wish to see other flowers, Ian would take her hand and wander the forest in search of new blooms.
That flower was… the Christmas Rose.
“We found this rose together in the forest. Those were good times…”
Lost in memory, Celia briefly closed her eyes.
When she opened them, she smiled, but Ian could only stare blankly at her.
‘A thing imbued with memories of me… Why is it Celia’s item for the Memorial Link?’
To be honest, he couldn’t understand it.
It didn’t seem strange at all.
‘Why? Although we were childhood friends, the character in the game seems to have no connection with Ian.’
Their relationship had long been severed, and there was no sign of reconnection.
That was the state of things. They could easily be described as strangers.
Yet… why had this necklace become her Memorial item?
‘For the Memorial Link to activate… could it really be such a precious item for her?’
Ian primarily played as Ariel, so he didn’t know Celia’s past in detail, but what he had seen so far didn’t make it easy to understand.
‘There must be some hidden backstory… For now, it seems right to think that way.’
Currently, there was no way to discern the truth. However, Ian couldn’t outright ask Celia about it either.
That was why he hesitated.
“Is it okay for you to give this to me? It must be an important item for you.”
For now, he decided to go along with her mood.
At his cautious question, Celia smiled brightly and nodded.
“Yes! This has been the item that protected me all this time… So… from now on, it will protect you, Ian.”
It was the moment he received the necklace from her.
“Ah. If you don’t mind, can I put it on for you? It might be difficult to do it alone.”
“Sure….”
“…Thank you. Just a moment.”
As she received the necklace and approached him, she reached her hands around the back of Ian’s neck and began to fasten it.
After tying it once, she just needed to do it one more time.
Having cast a protective spell with Elin’s help, she tried to tighten the knot more securely against the leather to prevent any possible damage when she suddenly noticed something.
“Ah? This is….”
The moment her eyes caught the bruises on Ian’s neck.
While bruises could easily form from minor impacts, having so many around the neck area… Celia could think of only one possibility.
‘No way. It can’t be….’
A kiss mark… As soon as that thought came to her mind, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.
***
“It’s okay, it’s okay… Ian, I think I should go now!”
“You’re leaving already?”
“Uh, yes! I just remembered something urgent! I have to go, but have a great birthday!”
Whatever her urgency was, Celia rushed off immediately after putting the necklace on him.
She had clearly appeared to have something more to say… so why did she leave so abruptly?
Questions continued to arise, but Ian shook his head.
‘It can’t be anything serious… I don’t need to worry about it.’
Perhaps she really did have something important to attend to, so why should he think negatively?
Today was his birthday, and despite her pressing matters, Celia came to give him a gift.
That was enough to settle his mind.
‘Considering what happened between Celia and me, receiving something like this does feel a bit odd.’
They were acquaintances, but also friends… weren’t they?
It would be reasonable to share simple congratulatory greetings, but giving gifts felt out of place.
Thus, her present was all the more surprising, and he wondered if it would be more appropriate to gently refuse it.
‘Especially knowing what this necklace means to her.’
The item for the Memorial Link must be incredibly precious to her.
However, seeing the tearful expression on her face as she offered the necklace, he found he couldn’t muster the courage to refuse.
That was why.
‘Yeah… I should just accept it. Even if it holds no significance for me, let’s think of it as a charm or superstition.’
The reason he decided to accept the necklace she handed him was simple.
Of course, since Ian was a character added later, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy its special effects while wearing it.
But as she said, it could be thought of as a talisman that would protect him in times of crisis.
‘Right. The remaining battles will likely pose threats to life, unlike before.’
Having failed again in targeting Ariel, the demons would surely become more impatient.
Given the level of traps they had prepared, it was clear they had put forth their best effort.
Since they had already failed, they would realize that no opportunities remained and would attempt to attack with all their might.
‘In fact, I can’t even predict when they might try to attack. That means there’s only one thing I can do.’
Focus on improving his still-immature swordsmanship.
Without that, defeating Satan or Lucifer would be impossible.
‘Of course, my body retains the experience of the swordsmanship I’ve practiced so far… but there’s no way I can swing my sword recklessly against a demon lord.’
In this instance, he had fought monsters that could be easily dispatched by simply swinging his weapon.
But Satan and Lucifer would not fall so easily.
Their attacks would be far more ferocious, demanding precise judgment at every moment.
‘Swinging my weapon mindlessly against such foes? That’s ridiculous.’
If he swung without thought, he’d just end up getting hit by their attacks and collapsing immediately.
That was why.
‘Yeah… I need to learn swordsmanship, no matter what.’
The reason the thought of needing to master swordsmanship arose again was clear.
Regardless, he needed to learn in order to secure victory against the remaining enemies.
The problem was, whom could he learn from?
‘If it were under normal circumstances, I would seek out the instructors at Ark Academy.’
But Ian shook his head.
While there might be instructors at Ark who could teach him swordsmanship, they would only meet the standards of a regular student.
In his current state, learning from someone mediocre would bring more harm than benefit.
‘The only ones who could teach me swordsmanship at my level are either Haley or the platoon commander. But the platoon commander doesn’t primarily use swordsmanship. Haley is often referred to as a swordmaster and was also my former teacher, so she would be the most fitting choice….’
However, going to someone who had previously cursed him so he couldn’t use a sword and saying, “I can wield a sword again, so please teach me,” would be a bit strange, wouldn’t it?
Learning at Ark was impossible. That was the conclusion Ian reached.
In his search for a mentor, facing obstacles, he finally thought of a last resort.
‘There’s one person who possesses superior swordsmanship compared to Haley and can teach me at any time… it’s Alex Volkanov.’
If he could engage in mock battles with his ancestor… wouldn’t he make a pretty decent mentor?
After all, he was the one who not only beheaded the ancient god Neltalion but also laid the foundation for the swordsmanship known as the Volkanov style.
The swordsmanship he developed was so advanced that it had been passed down through the ages.
‘Of course, a detailed lesson wouldn’t be possible in a mock battle…’
But this wasn’t the time to be picky about the quality of instruction.
If he could learn swordsmanship at all, he had to seize the opportunity.
‘Even if it’s not ideal, I should give it a try.’
With that thought in mind, Ian activated the mock battle system, and it began.
[The mock battle has been changed to a special mock battle.]
[Unlike before, where you could fight multiple enemies that the ancient god Neltalion had battled, you will now fight against a single fixed opponent, and you will receive special rewards for victory.]
‘What? Just one opponent?’
The new format of the mock battle was revealing itself.
He could only fight one opponent instead of the previously inaccessible strong enemies; was that all there was to it?
No matter how he thought about it, it was hard to consider this a good change.
‘Even if there are special rewards… is it worth giving up the chance to battle other opponents?’
The true value of the mock battle lay in facing strong foes he couldn’t ordinarily challenge and growing from the experience.
By directly clashing with historical figures from Neltalion’s memories, he could recognize his shortcomings and learn different combat patterns.
Of course, up to now, he had only fought Alex Volkanov, but he thought that leveling up Neltalion would allow him to fight against others. So what was happening now?
‘If it’s just one opponent… it must be referring to Alex Volkanov.’
Wasn’t this a regression? Just as he felt dissatisfaction rising in his heart at that moment.
[The opponent in the special mock battle has been fixed as Alex Volkanov.]
[He has become stronger than before and will exhibit new patterns. Defeat him to acquire “Alex Volkanov’s Vision Swordsmanship.”]
Seeing the phrase that he could learn the swordsmanship of the war god who had once supported the empire and beheaded the ancient god Neltalion made Ian shift his gaze forward with a sense of hope.
“Rise, descendant, and draw your sword. I will show you the essence of my blade.”
‘This is different.’
The War God, Alex Volkanov, stood before him, sword drawn.
