Academy’s Genius Swordsman

284. March (2)

#284

“By the way, I have a question.”

Ronan said. He sat on the ice floor, cold enough to peel the skin off his buttocks, waiting for the ritual of the lord. The savior, who had been gathering strength, furrowed his eyebrows.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“This kid. Who killed him?”

Ronan's gaze had been fixed on the giant trapped in the ice since a while ago. No matter how many times he saw it, it was incredibly powerful. With its eight wings and the size of a dragon, it was clear that this giant was on a different level from the likes of Ahayute and Duaru.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“So… ugh, wait a minute. This is fucking nauseating.”

Ronan frowned as he tried to continue. After drinking the giant's blood, he felt unwell. It was as if his stomach was dancing. His overall senses were gradually becoming clearer.

“It’s strange. If you were to say he was the king of bald heads, you’d believe it, but if he was thrown to the ground, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

“I see.”

The Savior's eyes narrowed. Ronan's words were certainly persuasive. Most of the giant's body was buried in ice, and it had been sealed and turned away long ago, so it had not occurred to him to think of such a thing. Ronan raised his index finger and continued.

“And the injuries don’t look natural for someone to have fallen to their death. You wouldn’t get hurt like that unless you fought something, and it was really violent.”

His fingers pointed to the scars carved into the giant's body. The marks were inconsistent, spread evenly across his body.

There were wounds from being stabbed or stabbed, as well as burns from being burned. The most likely fatal wound was a huge hole in the abdomen, and the clean cross-section made it look like it had been hit by a ray of light fired by the Dragon King.

“Did he come here injured in space? Or is there something protecting this planet?”

“Well… I’ve never thought about that before.”

“That’s weird.”

Ronan licked his lips. Finding out now wouldn't make a difference, but he was strangely nervous. Suddenly, the incomprehensible experiences and phenomena he had seen so far flashed through his mind.

The giant shield surrounding this star that no one had installed, or the 'Seniel' mentioned by the elf Sarante who had turned into a rock in the past. The strange entity that had taken up residence in Ronan's heart without his knowledge was still unknown.

Of course, the most mysterious one was already decided. Ronan, who was touching his chin, asked a question.

“Excuse me, I was just asking just in case.”

“hmm?”

“Is there such a thing as a treasure that can turn back time?”

The Savior narrowed his eyes. He suddenly looked as if he was asking what kind of stupid thing that was. He scratched his chin and shook his head.

“···I can’t say for sure, but I think it probably doesn’t exist. If it did exist, I wouldn’t be living such a regrettable life.”

“That’s true.”

Ronan twisted his lips. He thought that he would know if he was a savior, but it was regrettable. Three years had passed since he had lived his second life, but he still did not know the identity of the bead that Adeshan had passed to him.

'It's all over anyway.'

Of course, now that things have progressed to this point, I don't need to know. I just wish that if there were a guardian deity that protects the stars, they would chase away all those fucking bald people. Suddenly, the savior snapped his fingers as if he remembered something.

“Right. As soon as I finish my work, let’s go somewhere together.”

“Where are you going?”

“The Red Desert. Have you ever been there?”

“Huh?”

Ronan raised his eyebrows. It was a familiar name. Dainhar, one of the most famous demon lords on the continent, was there.

I had been there with Schlieffen about three years ago. I still vividly remember cutting down the Nebula Klazier who had massacred the natives. Now that I think about it, that place was also covered in strange mechanical devices like this one.

“I know, but why all of a sudden?”

“The best-preserved ruins of the Dainhar Empire are located there. They will help us thwart Abel’s plans.”

“her.”

Only then did Ronan realize that the name of the empire that had sent humanity to the stars was the same as the magic mirror. The Savior, who had finally finished his preparations, let out a sigh.

“Phew… Finally. Can we get started?”

“Of course. But you say it as if I was wasting my time because I was scared.”

“Wasn’t it? That’s why I thought you were asking such a strange question.”

The Savior raised the corners of his mouth. Ronan couldn't help but chuckle at the playful smile he had never seen before. In the Savior's hands, sparkling mana that was too bright to be seen properly was pulsating in the form of spheres.

“Will it hurt?”

“heavily.”

“I fucking knew it.”

Ronan took a deep breath and looked forward again. There was no more conversation. The Savior placed a hand on Ronan’s back.

“If you really can’t stand it… um, no. Just bear with it.”

“Damn it. If you can’t even speak···”

Ronan was about to say something when the Savior shoved the sphere of mana he had collected into his back.

“······!”

Ronan's eyes went blank. It didn't take long for him to realize that his father wasn't lying. A bestial roar echoed from deep within the star.

****

【Are you sure he's dead?】

“Yes, I am sure.”

Adeshan stuttered after hearing Navardo's question. The two women's gazes were turned towards the giant Vasagia whose face was split in half.

The giant's corpse, lying in the middle of the battlefield, looked like a whale that had washed up on the beach. Zaifa, who had delivered the finishing blow, was still sitting on his shoulder. Adeshan called out to him.

“Your Majesty, Jaipha.”

Zaifa nodded as his eyes met hers. Suddenly, he turned his grip on the sword and stabbed the giant with the spearhead into his neck.

Pfft! Blue blood spurted out with a sound of flesh being torn apart, but there was no response. Navardoze finally let out a sigh of relief when he saw that.

【Haa… Thank you for your hard work. You really did a great job.】

“It’s thanks to everyone’s hard fighting.”

Adeshan bowed. The setting sun was shedding summer light in the western sky. The Allied forces, who had finished the battle, were diligently collecting the bodies of their fallen comrades.

It was about an hour after the death of the giant Vasagia that Navardoze returned. She returned with the best of the allied forces, Lorhorn, the Shadow Prince, and Orse.

【Sorry I'm late. I didn't expect three of you to come down at once.】

“Don’t say that.”

It felt a bit too late for an emergency, but no one blamed them, since the four had just come back from defeating two giants that had descended from elsewhere.

“The second one was really close. Ronan and his friend were almost out of blood. But somehow we won.”

Lorhorn said. It was a fight so loud that I would never want to think about it again. He assured me that it would take at least hundreds of years for the place where the battle with the giants took place to return to its original state.

As if to testify to the fierce battle, the appearance of the four people was noticeably more haggard and exhausted than before. Orsay looked around and muttered in surprise.

“Still, that’s pretty good. You almost didn’t die.”

It was pure admiration. Although hundreds were killed and nearly a thousand were injured, it was a paltry loss compared to the tragedy at Adren.

It was possible because everyone took on their roles. However, if I had to pick one person who contributed the most, it would be Adeshan, who took command in place of the commander who died in battle.

She used the mana of the shadows to effectively issue orders and deploy personnel to the right places, minimizing casualties. It was an incredible achievement for a student who was not an Imperial officer and was about to graduate from the Pileon Academy, but she was not satisfied.

After all, the fact that innocent lives were lost did not change. Adeshan, who had been biting his lower lip, shook his head.

“···I could have saved more lives.”

“You’re so greedy. Why are all that kid’s friends like this?”

Orsay burst into laughter at the sight of that reaction. Here, the word ‘Aesong’ naturally referred to Ronan.

As the wizard Asel, why are there so many people here who are overly humble compared to their abilities? Schlieffen, who was suddenly moving the corpses of the fallen soldiers, asked Navardoze.

“By the way, what happened to Drimur? The giants’ arrival means that the heavenly front has been breached.”

【Don't worry about that. I told Ajidahaka that if a giant comes, don't try to stop him and just let him pass. He'll probably come down as soon as he's ready.】

Navardo said. Since it was a being that could not be killed by normal means anyway, it was a strategy to conserve power by passing it through without wasting useless power.

“You said you were coming down···.”

【Yes. That means joining forces. I'll call a meeting for a moment, so gather the people together.】

Navardoze smiled faintly. Adeshan did so. Not long after the transmission was sent, the key figures of the Allied Forces gathered in one place.

The tents and such had all been blown away, so the meeting was held in the middle of the ruins. Navardoze, looking around at the participants, opened his mouth.

【Okay. Let's start the meeting. To conclude, we must give up defense and go on the offensive.】

“···yes?”

【I've been worried ever since I heard that they found their base. But after these three battles, I've become more certain. If things continue this way, we have no chance of winning.】

Navardoje turned to Adeshan. Even while she was out of her mind due to the giant's descent, she had delivered the news to the main characters that Balzac had found the headquarters of the Nebula Clazie and died.

The Shadow Duke, who had lost his only brother, remained silent and remained in his seat. The people who heard this truly groundbreaking proposal began to murmur.

“A full-scale attack at this point? What the….”

“Mother of Fire. Are you sincere?”

【Yes. I'm serious.】

Navardo nodded.

【To be blunt, the reason we can stand against them is because of Ronan's diligent blood donation over the past three months. We still have some left, but we don't know how many Titans are left, and we don't know when Ronan will return, so a long-term war is too dangerous.】

“I, Navardoze, are right. If we continue like this, there will be more to come.”

“Axel?”

People's attention was focused on it. It was very unusual for the usually quiet Axel to step forward first.

Now that everyone knew his power, no one looked down on him because of his young or small stature. Asher, who was breathing hard, opened his mouth.

“Those giants come because they are called from this world. They say that they are constantly sending signals from somewhere, most likely from the headquarters of the sect.”

His voice was trembling. Asher remembered the home of the giants he had glimpsed in the city of dragons. The shadows were invading other worlds through the dimensional gates that appeared in the sky irregularly. Zaifa, who had been listening quietly, asked a question.

“If we invade their base and kill and destroy them all, does that mean those bastards won’t come down anymore?”

“Oh, maybe. The medium will be there anyway···.”

“Then there is no need to worry. I agree.”

Suddenly, Zaifa raised one hand. It meant that he was in favor of a full-scale attack. If he couldn't trust Asel, who had communicated directly with the giants, then there was no one he could trust here. The people who had been watching and pondering began to raise their hands one by one.

“···I agree with that. I guess we need to hurry up and make a decision.”

“I agree with that. It was something I had to do, even if it was for the sake of the hostages.”

“Agreed. I don’t know if Ronan will be able to make it in time.”

Nabirose, who had been quietly listening to the story, also raised her hand. Her dry voice was dripping with concern for her disciple.

In less than a minute, the vote was unanimous. No dissent was heard. Navardoze smiled.

【Okay. Then let's open it right away without wasting any time.】

“You’re opening it?”

Adeshan tilted his head. Shouldn’t the expression “start” or “starting” be used in such cases? But Navardoze didn’t make a slip of the tongue.

【Yeah. We can't just be dragged around forever, right? Lorhorn!】

“Yes, Mother of Fire.”

Lorhorn, who had been summoned, stepped forward. He called his disciple Kratir by clapping his hands.

“Then let’s do it, disciple. You remember the coordinates, right?”

“Of course, Master.”

Normally, Kratir was the headmaster of the Phileon Academy, but in front of Lorhon, he was just a naive student. The two turned their backs on the people and walked out onto the battlefield that had become a wasteland.