Sharon looked up at me with a distressed expression.
But only for a moment.
Her face soon crumbled like someone who had lost their last thread of hope.
Did she think I would accept the Oath of Obedience?
Or did she think I needed her help for the promotion battle?
Whatever she thought, Sharon was wrong.
Those weren’t urgent matters for me at the moment.
The Oath of Obedience has the side effect of being unpredictable during the soul-binding process.
It’s the same with Sharon joining the promotion battle party.
There’s no telling what side effects her joining might bring.
Like reigniting conflicts with Lina, who had previously split from her.
Or perhaps clashing personalities with Danya or Elena.
Sharon Pierce’s skills and talents are undoubtedly excellent. She would surely bolster our party’s melee damage and crisis management, which have been weak points.
But we already have the Berserker’s Shield, right?
There’s no immediate need to take on the risk that Sharon represents.
Therefore, to me, Sharon is a liability.
And above all—
‘I just don’t feel like it.’
I don’t know the exact reason.
But I just don’t feel like it.
Maybe it’s due to disappointment.
The disappointment and emptiness towards a character I admired so much from behind the screen.
You might call it disillusionment.
Before I knew it, it was curfew time.
“That’s all I have to say.”
I issued an order to leave to Sharon.
◆
On the day of departure for the promotion battle.
We gathered in a southern port city of the continent from early morning.
Being told to gather from across the continent in the morning.
Even with portals, isn’t that a bit much?
Complaints were short-lived.
“Wow—! It’s so big! I’ve never seen such a big ship before! Come quickly, Ian!”
Lina smiled brightly and pulled me towards the ship.
“If it’s this big, it looks like it could carry all the students of Lichten Academy! Wow. Ian, have you ever seen such a big ship? All we had was a small wooden boat for the lake inside our mansion! We had to sell it because we didn’t have money!”
… A lake inside your mansion?
Are you sure you were poor?
There were many things I wanted to retort to the overly excited Lina, but I kept my mouth shut.
Two large ships filled the port.
The size itself wasn’t all that surprising.
To the eyes of a modern person, they were just a bit smaller than cruise ships.
But the point that surprised me was different.
And for good reason….
“Wow— they’re actually floating!”
These ships.
They fly in the sky.
Why did they make them in the shape of ships if they were going to fly in the sky?
And why did they float them on the sea in the first place?
I set aside my scientific critique for the moment. Enjoying this scenery took priority.
The light blue sky.
The deep blue sea.
The distant horizon.
White clouds drifting between the ships.
“Wow. This is pure fantasy.”
I couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Hmm? What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
Lina smiled and pointed at Danya.
“Hehe. Danya doesn’t seem scared at all.”
Danya was precariously hanging on the railing at the edge of the ship.
Her pink hair fluttered in the wind.
The gently swaying tail indicated that the breeze felt very pleasant.
‘She looks like a dog with its head out of a car window.’
It wasn’t just Danya.
The ship carried students from the Magic Department and the Priest Department.
They were all enjoying the trip as if they were on a school excursion.
Among them, some students were spreading rumors.
“They say if you search well on Volta Island, you can find ancient treasures. I heard someone found a treasure and paid for all their Lichten tuition with it.”
“Is that so? My family has plenty of money, so I’m not particularly interested, but ancient treasures do pique my academic curiosity. Coincidentally, I also heard a rumor about an ancient magic-inscribed tablet found in a cave…”
Well.
The rumors spreading in such an atmosphere were predictable.
Treasures buried on the island.
Something scary roaming around.
And so on.
‘Half of it is true.’
To be precise, it’s more ‘relics’ than ‘treasures’ and ‘mysteries’ rather than ‘ancient knowledge’.
The location of the promotion battle, Volta Island.
Here, relics and mysteries related to ancient times lie dormant.
Mysteries such as ‘body regeneration’ or ‘overwhelming senses’—special abilities.
This was one of the reasons the promotion battle was so exciting.
There would definitely be an opportunity to secure a relic or mystery at least once.
‘To do that, we have to survive for a long time.’
Lina, Danya, Elena, and I.
Though it’s early in the semester, our combat power is not low.
At that moment.
Clap, clap-.
Professor Violet clapped gracefully, drawing everyone’s attention.
“All of Mezai. Gather around.”
In a large room on one side of the ship.
At Professor Violet’s feet was a small box.
“… What’s that?”
Someone voiced their curiosity briefly.
Professor Violet, having confirmed the students had gathered, waved her fingers.
— Sssssh!
Out came small wristbands resembling smart bands.
Numbers were inscribed in the center.
“These are protective devices you will wear during the promotion battle. The health points have been distributed based on your grades. Students with lower grades need to be especially careful.”
Nooo-!
One student wailed as he looked at his wristband.
At a glance, the number [2] was displayed.
‘With that much, even a stray rock could eliminate him.’
“Of course, they only work on Volta Island, so there’s no need to start hitting each other on the back of the head here.”
The student who had been approaching the crying one awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
“The rest is as previously explained. Survive as long as possible while eliminating monsters or threats. Bringing the wristband close to a defeated foe will reward you with coins based on their rank. Forming a team to hunt stronger enemies and sharing the coins isn’t a bad idea.”
Violet paused before continuing.
“Moreover, you can also acquire coins from other students.”
The students started to buzz at her words.
“If you reduce another cadet’s protective artifact health to ‘0’, that cadet will be immediately eliminated and protected. Their wristband will drop and become available for others to pick up. Since ‘coins’ are stored in the wristband as information, you will acquire all the coins that student had.”
“…!”
The students of Lichten Academy were mostly smart.
Everyone present understood that this rule was crucial.
It was why the kids’ eyes had become so intense.
“I will explain a few more additional rules.”
Violet waved her hand in the air.
Like chalk drawing on a blackboard, a map of the island appeared in the air.
“The island is about three times the size of the academy grounds. It’s not an exaggeration to call it a small city. Among its features…”
She marked several locations with Xs.
“There are bases where you can find food, convenience tools, and weapons necessary for survival. Securing these places will allow you to survive relatively comfortably.”
On the other hand.
That’s how much you have to prepare for battles with other students.
“During the 7-day promotion battle, solely aiming for survival is not a bad strategy. If you succeed in surviving, you will be awarded bonus coins equivalent to the participant average.”
In other words, surviving alone will get you more than halfway there.
However, the promotion battle is not an easy test.
As with any deathmatch, there are rules in place to prevent participants from surviving without fighting.
“Once all students are deployed on the island, an ‘encroachment’ will begin from the outer regions. If you enter an encroached area, your health will steadily deplete, and if you don’t escape quickly, you will be eliminated.”
Naturally, this scenario brings to mind battle royale-style FPS games.
“In a short while, we will arrive above Volta Island. You will be transported from the ship to the island. Your location will be random. However, if you stand near your teammates, you will start in a similar area.”
Violet concluded her briefing with some final advice.
“If an unexpected situation arises, withdraw immediately. It’s only the first semester of your first year. You will have many more opportunities to advance to Aether.”
It’s not because of your mood that it seems like you’re talking specifically while looking at me, right?
The way she seems to be looking directly at me makes it feel like she’s speaking specifically to me.
Is that sparkle in her eye a sign of concern?
Or is she suggesting I stay another semester with her?
‘Hmm.’
The latter thought is quite sobering.
I recall the time I was detained in Violet’s lab recently.
She sat me on the sofa and sat close enough that I couldn’t escape.
— I’ll overlook your unauthorized absences if you do something nice with me.
I had to spend an entire hour discussing her research with her that day.
“…”
A shiver runs down my spine.
I really thought I was going to be devoured!
Apologies to Violet, but I need to advance to Aether.
Moreover, I must prepare for the upcoming ‘Act 3’ of the scenario.
Whether the setting will be the Holy Kingdom of Constantine or the Imperial Palace, I don’t know yet…
‘Wherever it is, I need the title of <Lichten’s Aether> at a minimum.’
Both places are highly prestigious.
Aether is the minimum requirement to be treated with respect.
“Ah…”
Even thinking about it gives me a headache.
Have I been coasting too long since the possession?
‘Honey… I need some honey.’
Volta Island is the perfect place to score some honey.
Relics. Mysteries. Various rare flora and fauna.
And the promotion to Aether.
This time, I’m planning to take full advantage of it.
