Chapter 239

TL: TangSanFan

ED/PR: Tanthus

***Bellbrook Subjugation Battle (7)***

A carriage befitting the grandeur of the royal family lay overturned by the roadside. The once brilliantly adorned ornaments were now tarnished and smeared with blood and dirt beyond recognition. The wheels, detached, rolled aimlessly amongst the nearby bushes, and the door dangled loosely, suggesting the carriage could no longer fulfill its purpose.

Beside it, the hem of her dress trailing, Princess Sella Ainir Clorel hid behind the wreckage.

Two of the five knights tasked with her protection were dead, and the coachman had met a grievous end at the hands of demonic beasts.

Princess Sella frowned, glancing briefly at the idly spinning carriage wheel before addressing the surviving knights.

"The royal residences were attacked, you say? Then Father's safety is in jeopardy."

"Yes, that is so. Our area was relatively untouched, allowing us to preserve our lives, but I fear the royal residences have been assaulted by numerous high-tier demonic beasts."

Princess Sella shut her eyes tightly, then reopened them, reassessing the situation.

Surrounding them lay a plethora of demonic cadavers. While their force was not considerable, it proved too much for the handful of guards to manage.

The revelation that the royal residences were breached weighed heavily upon her.

Steward Dest gathered his bloodstained rapier, bowed respectfully, and spoke.

"According to the messenger birds, they seem to maintain the defensive lines. However... there is news of the demise of Princess Phoenia's head of the guard, sir Clair."

"I see... Phoenia has lost a powerful ally. That knight was always by her side... This will significantly influence the power dynamics within the monarchy..."

Sella uttered these words, then turned her gaze upwards to the hellish sky, continuing, "In light of these developments... one has to wonder if competing for the throne remains a matter of consequence."

"What would you like to do, Princess Sella? Word has it that numerous encampments have been established near the student plaza and dormitories. It might be safer to join them."

"Speaking nonsense, are we, Dest? How can I seek refuge when Father's safety remains uncertain?"

Sella dusted off her clothes, admonishing Dest with clear disapproval.

"Foolish man."

"My apologies."

"Being of the royal bloodline, I must head to the royal residences, even if I perish in the act. I must ascertain Father's safety."

Though the carriage had taken them a considerable distance, the journey back on foot was not impossible.

The challenge was whether they could breach the hoards of demonic beasts encountered along the way.

The surviving guards were all exhausted, and whilst Steward Dest was relatively unscathed, facing the numerous demonic adversaries would be insurmountable.

"We must devise a plan of action..."

It was at that moment that Sella leaned on her chin, deep in thought when suddenly -

Boom!

The crashing sound of something large plummeted to the ground.

Near the secluded path leading to the faculty buildings, a great bird-shaped spirit rolled helplessly in the underbrush. There, in the chaos, Yenika Faelover emerged, tightly clutching Ed Rothtaylor as she tumbled down.

Holding Ed, who was unconscious, Yenika coughed out blood whilst summoning new mana despite clearly being exhausted.

Only then did Princess Sella look up to see an immense number of flying demonic beasts pursuing Yenika.

The skies above Acken Island closely mirrored that of pure hell. Hundreds, if not thousands, of demonic creatures roamed the air, attacking anything in their path.

Yenika Faelover, having penetrated the midst single-handedly, demonstrated a reckless feat even for a powerful spirit mage.

The fallen wind spirit gasped for breath amidst its injuries, still attempting to shield Yenika with its wings.

"Princess Sella! More demonic beasts are upon us! We must take cover in the carriage immediately!"

"I shall break the window! Climb into the wreckage for safety!"

The soldiers raised their voices alarmingly. Indeed, the number of flying beasts that had pursued Yenika was extraordinary.

Giant bats, gremlins, chimeras, and other monstrosities... each took a form distorted and sinister. Observing such beings alone stoked fear, yet Yenika, undeterred, raised her head.

With one hand grasping Ed, she extended the other into the air.

A colossal spirit in the guise of a turtle arose. Facing the sky, it emitted a tremendous magic force, washing away demonic creatures in a great wave of light.

With scores of demons cleared in a single stroke, Yenika heavily sighed, her gaze falling.

Seemingly as no further pursuit followed from the wooded trail, the figures of Yenika holding an unconscious youth, her head bowed, remained.

"Is... that..."

The soldiers stood dumbfounded at the sight. She was donned in a school uniform, hinting at her being a student, and yet wielded unfathomed power.

But even as she panted heavily, Yenika could hardly keep steady, her eyes half cloaked with fatigue while she defensively cradled Ed's head.

It was then that Princess Sella locked eyes with Yenika.

Sella motioned to the soldiers with a subtle wave of her hand, advancing slowly towards Yenika.

Like a porcupine bristling its quills, Yenika held Ed tightly, fixing a hostile gaze upon Sella.

In the current state of absolute chaos, trusting anyone blindly was folly.

Especially Princess Sella, a long-standing adversary of Ed's. Though Yenika was not prone to malice, in her duty to protect a severely injured Ed, even a minute threat could not be easily dismissed.

"The man you're holding... he's Ed Rothtaylor, isn't he?"

Princess Sella herself was far from fine.

She was someone who would scowl at a single spot of dirt on her collar, yet here she was fully soiled with dust and grime after battling for her life.

However, there was no bending of pride in her poised stance as she spoke with haughty indifference.

"I'm unsure of the events that transpired, but you appear substantially wounded."

"Don't... come any closer."

"To not come any closer...? Ha... to think, now that things have come to this, that someone low like you attempts to command me. Indeed, amid such disorder... It must seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to match or surpass me."

Princess Sella laughed as though with resignation, but Yenika's vigilance did not waver.

"As expected, you are the bauble I saw at the Rothtaylor mansion. How pitiful, still caught up in such fleeting affections. Impressive skills indeed... but a pity, you could've chosen a man befitting your station."

"..."

"Why glare at me so? Does it improve your predicament in the slightest?"

Sella's arrogance persisted, even as the world seemed to crumble around her.

Her stubbornness, her pride would never falter.

"Yes, if you so wished, taking me out would hardly be difficult. The order of Acken Island is shattered, and I do not possess the immense power you hold. So, will you assassinate me now? Attempt to harm me in any way?"

"To be honest... I really couldn't care less."

Yenika was never concerned with what might happen to Princess Sella.

After a moment, Yenika closed her eyes briefly, head bowed as she spoke.

"If things continue this way, Ed will die."

Blood was flowing profusely from the lad in her arms.

Although powerful, Yenika had no skill in healing wounds. In the midst of such destruction, there was no clear course of action to save Ed's life.

Even if she knew where to go, there was no assurance she'd be able to bring Ed there unscathed.

Yenika couldn't help but let tears stream down her cheeks.

"You might not know, Princess, but having observed him closely, I do. Ed, even in the face of despair and facing death, has managed to pull himself back from the brink and survive."

The initial hostility had faded, leaving even Sella slightly taken aback.

"It would be too cruel if Ed died under such senseless circumstances. That just can't happen."

The urgency of the moment left no room for idle tears over a dying Ed. Immediate action was necessary, strategies were to be devised to save him. With gritted teeth, Yenika suppressed her grief.

Yet, emotions often defy such control.

Her lips tightly sealed, hands pressing on Ed's wounds to staunch the bleeding... yet still, tears dropped like beads from her eyes.

"Others might accept it, but Ed's futile death is unforgivable. A person who has fought to survive more than anyone shouldn't end like this... That can't happen."

And so, Yenika prayed. If there was a god listening, she begged for the life of this man.

Within the vast expanse of the world, teeming with people like ants, she knew well that she was not the protagonist of this grand stage.

Much like anyone else, she would leave the world as an extra, carrying her own tale within her heart.

All the effort bled into striving often goes unrewarded.

Not everything one wishes for fructifies just because it's desperately wished upon.

While some gain disproportionately, others might not even see their one essential desire fulfilled.

Yenika understood more than anyone, the unreasonable and illogical nature of this world's affairs.

And yet, wasn't it unjust for Ed Rothtaylor to meet his end so easily?

Yenika knew all too intimately just how earnest and weighty his struggle for survival had been.

If there was a god, it should not overlook such fervent entreaties. Ed never demanded much, after all.

Each night he would sit quietly before the campfire, gazing at the dancing flames, murmuring as in a whisper.

To survive safely through just one more day.

Each night, Yenika, clad in her pajamas, would listen to Ed's muttering from behind her cabin door, hugging her knees — And she always reflected the same thought.

It wasn't an extravagant or lofty aspiration. Just the plain hope of enduring another day, one more does of survival.

Who in the world could decree such yearning to be presumptuous or grandiose?

"Please, save Ed."

Although her will was manifest and her lips sealed, she could not staunch the tears that streamed down her face. Nonetheless, Yenika met Sella's gaze squarely, speaking frankly.

"You can belittle me as much as you please, dismiss me as a mere pawn; I don't mind any slander. But right now... I just don't know what to do. Nothing else matters... Just..."

"..."

"Please... save Ed..."

If she were any regular princess, alternatives could've been considered.

Blood flowed from Ed Rothtaylor, staining Yenika's school uniform. Nevertheless, she embraced Ed's head to her chest, undeterred by the encroaching scarlet.

Princess Sella instinctively swallowed dryly, a trickle of cold sweat running down her brow.

For a brief moment, she murmured contemplatively.

Sella looked at Ed, bleeding profusely. It was the boy who sat across the table, who, no matter how much he was pressed and prodded, seemed unfazed and only spoke of Phoenia. To see such a man, who resembled a steadfast rock, collapse in a battered state created a dissonant feeling. It was eerily strange—like seeing a side of him that should have been impossible, and a sense of guilt welled up inside. Even in the face of this calamity, he was bleeding and lying on the ground, who seemed like he could withstand anything in the world.

Perhaps... now... could I become the savior of this man's life?

Despite being disgusted with myself for having such opportunistic thoughts even in such a situation, I felt no shame as it proved I was still maintaining my composure.

"Dest!"

When Sella called out the steward's name out loud, he quickly ran to check on Ed's condition.

As Yenika released her grip, which had been tightly holding Ed's face, his bloodied face was revealed.

Dest checked Ed's pulse and assessed his wounds and bleeding. Furrowing his brow, he reported back to Sella Ha.

"There are residues of divine magic imbued with dark mana all over his body. It seems he has fought with an opponent who can wield at least high-level magic. The physical injuries are also severe—if we leave him like this, he won't last long."

Upon hearing this, Yenika's face drained of color, but Princess Sella swallowed dryly once more to regain her composure.

"As for me, it doesn't matter whether this man lives or dies!" she asserted.

Despite the rising irritation when looking at Ed's bloodied face... Princess Sella closed and then opened her eyes, speaking with difficulty.

"Besides, it's not going to be easy to find medical staff with the academy turned upside down. The royal quarters are in chaos, and there must be hundreds of casualties everywhere, whether it's the student plaza or the dormitory. It's unlikely any medical staff are free."

"..."

"Not to mention that dragon rage in the sky above us, and the monsters are wreaking havoc... We're not free to move around. To expect proper treatment in such a situation is... pure arrogance. Even I, a royal, have neglected my own minor injuries... How can we expect to save this man?"

Sella took a sharp breath before reluctantly informing Yenika.

"Give up on this man's life! Rather than cling to such a lost cause...!"

- Swish!

At that moment, blood spurted from the remaining wounds on Ed's body.

Although he had largely evaded death by divine magic, the remaining aftereffects left wounds all over Ed's body. Inflicted by the curse of dark mana, the wounds kept splitting open and blood gushed over and over.

A speck of blood splattered onto Sella's face as she looked down on Ed.

Startled, Princess Sella's eyes widened before she reflexively grabbed the gaping wound with her bare hands.

Ed's blood stained the hem and sleeves of her dress, but her reflexes had taken over.

"What are you doing? If you're not going to bind his wounds, do you think they'll just stop bleeding?!"

"Ah, uh?!"

Startled, Yenika tore the end of her skirt off and hastily bandaged Ed's bleeding wounds.

Despite the noble royal dress being tainted with dark red blood, Sella, with a bewildered face, joined Yenika in pressing down on Ed's wounds.

Dest too joined in the effort, alarmed, but for some reason, Sella's arms did not lose their strength.

Her heart pounded and pupils dilated in the intensifying situation. Pressing down on Ed's wounds, Princess Sella wore a baffled expression, clearly at a loss with her own actions.

Yenika, witnessing Sella, felt similarly bewildered.

I gathered my scattered thoughts within my blurred consciousness. Though my entire body felt on fire from the bleeding, I never ceased to think.

To think means to be alive. And as long as I'm alive, I have to think.

I never let go of my consciousness even as I writhed within the curse's agony.

A moment relenting to the veiling mist of consciousness seemed like it would lead to never opening my eyes again.

So I think, and think again.

How did Sylvania Robespierre, a figure from the ancient past, appear in this academy now?

The most possible answer would, of course, be divine magic.

The pinnacle of divine magic manipulates even time and space at will.

However, I've never heard of any magic capable of jumping through time into the future...

Not to mention my game knowledge, but also the magic knowledge I have gained in this world.

Yet, if it were Sylvania Robespierre, the pioneer of divine magic, it wouldn't be surprising if she discovered a spell to transcend time.

It wasn't merely about observing the future; it was actually jumping into it.

If theoretically, that's possible... then why did Sylvania become someone who feared the future itself? If the future was so frightening, couldn't she just skip over it?

Reaching that point, I could picture the "future" Sylvania saw.

... A fear of a future, akin to the darkness to come, that drove Sylvania mad.

Surely, the future she foresaw must have been a dreadfully never-ending darkness...

But that fear of darkness... she must have felt it in the old times too.

The immense terror of darkness must have overwhelmed her on the day she first observed the future with divine magic.

Yet, she did not succumb to that fear back then.

Instead, she struggled longer to defy the foretold demise.

In that case, the now completely deranged figure of Sylvania makes no sense. If she is the same Sylvania who jumped through time to this present, she should still be fighting against the darkness, not having given in.

Yet, Sylvania who has taken over Trix Hall now is utterly lost to the fear of darkness and madness.

Rather than eternally struggling in the terror of death, she was shouting to die together at the hands of Bellbrook, right here and now.

It feels like there's a huge gap in that transition.

Why did Sylvania go mad?

Swept away by the unexplainable madness of divine magic?

Wasn't she the one, who even knowing divine magic profoundly, despaired at the idea of the infinite dark future, and clashed against it? It doesn't make sense for her to so easily become a maniac, does it?

And what is the ultimate goal of the mad Sylvania?

If the goal truly is to unleash Bellbrook and die together...

Then... what is the true nature of the chains that bind Bellbrook now?

Too many questions remain unresolved. Unsolved mysteries, clearly still exist.

It signifies that there might be a solution yet to be found.

If there's something we still don't fully grasp, it means there's still an unseen solution out there.

Therefore, I unequivocally refuse to give up on survival. Even if excruciating pain floods over me, I will not surrender to death.

This is the final trial of a long and arduous journey. There are only two remaining conditions for victory:

Capturing Bellbrook.

Capturing the Archsage Sylvania.

Even if I leave the former to Taely, the latter must be resolved with my own strength.

Despite the many shifts, Taely possesses the minimal strength required to slash through Bellbrook's heart.

The party that had defeated Bellbrook together in the Empire: Aila, Zix, Clevius, Elvira, Lortelle, Phoenia.

These six members, assuming their respective roles, had efficiently eradicated Bellbrook. Theoretically, the operation could be carried out with at least these six conditions met.

Ideally, I would want to stabilize it further with a few more participants, but due to the circumstances, even meeting the minimum conditions is strict. I have no choice but to trust in Taely.

Setting that concern aside, I must also think of the last members necessary to capture Sylvania.

Going into a one-on-one elimination is reckless.

[Sylvania's Failed Sword Saint], the extras who couldn't make it to the final stage of the main story... even so, they must gather those who hold their own strength.

While causing the least possible interference with Taely's engagement with Bellbrook, I have to amass all possible strength available for deployment to deal with this tricky condition.

It is irrespective of the main story of [Sylvania's Failed Sword Saint].

It must connect with the people I have been able to reach through my own saga while surviving as Ed Rothtaylor.

Perhaps, this desperate struggle was for this very moment.

It's such an impeccable timing that even amidst the agony, I couldn't help but let out a smile.

Let's give it a go. Damn this world.

Biting down hard and grasping onto my consciousness, I slowly start to regain awareness.

"That... a dormitory... But... living quarters...!"

Vaguely, I can hear Yenika's familiar voice. Slowly lifting my heavy eyelids, my blood-soaked bangs obscure my vision.

Gradually my hearing returns, and this time Princess Sella's voice comes through clearly.

"It would be unfeasible to move to the living quarters. In the first place, this body needs to head to the royal quarters! With the royal quarters breached, I have no idea what has become of my father and Phoenia. It's unreasonable to expect me to go elsewhere!"

"Then, are there any medical staff remaining at the royal quarters?"

"If they are still alive... there might be... if any are alive at all. In this state, nothing can be guaranteed! If you want my cooperation, then you must also head towards the royal quarters! If there is still medical staff alive, I take responsibility and keep this man alive! That, I can promise!"

Yenika held her breath and listened to Princess Sella.

At that moment, I sneezed and forced out a voice.

"Ed...! Ed!"

Yenika, startled, bent down checking my state.

Struggling to breathe, I barely managed to voice out.

"To the... royal quarters... Let's go..."

That was my decision.

Upon those words, Princess Sella looks at me with color returning to her face.

"Indeed, even in a half-conscious state, you make a wise decision! Did you hear that? He himself has spoken. It's right to follow my thoughts! No more hesitation needed!"

Even in my hazy state, I clearly heard.

Now... if what Princess Sella said was true... then we had to act upon her view.

"Ed Rothtaylor! Even so, you acknowledge my words to be correct! Right, that's the way! Now, remember this well... I will become the savior of your life. You're indebted to me, so engrave it deeply in your memory!"

"Pe... nia..."

"... What?"

Phoenia Elias Clorel was a crucial member who must participate in Taely's party to defeat Bellbrook.

"We must... save Princess Phoenia...!"

"Again...! Phoenia...!!!!! I swear...!! I can't live!!!"

Even while gripping my wounds tightly, Princess Sella let out a scream as if she was truly vexed.

Her sudden high pitch made my head throb and pound.