Volume 1: Enrollment at Magias Academy of Magical Arts

Chapter 21: Good Work

The chaos of panic faded, and Magias gradually began to recover its quiet.

“Yes. The culprit is restrained. Our injured companions are still in the basement… Yes. No, the Central Tower is only temporarily stabilized. Send a specialist guild immediately… Yes. I’ll continue guarding him here.”

I relayed everything the staff and security forces needed to know, then ended the telepathic connection.

The mastermind had been neutralized.

The rings that looked like transfer gates were gone, and no more magical beasts were appearing.

The Central Tower had been repaired too. It shouldn’t collapse under its own weight anytime soon.

The number of injured still concerned me.

Most of all, I was worried about my friends.

Still, almost all the work I could do was finished for now.

“Whew…”

I sat down and glanced at the dejected Wilhelm near my feet.

I had brought the magic sword Poison Needle (Dronach) as a precaution and used it to prevent him from shaping magic.

Iron Vine (Allongé) bound him on top of that, making him physically incapable of doing anything.

“Hey…”

Wilhelm spoke in a hoarse voice.

Apparently, he still had enough energy to talk.

“Kill me. The people of the royal capital will think better of you for it.”

“Don’t say something so revolting.”

What kind of deranged idea was that?

Why would I burden myself with responsibility for a life for no reason?

“The military police are coming. Stay quiet until then.”

Honestly, I was near my limit too.

Maybe it was the tension, but I felt a kind of fatigue I’d rarely experienced.

I couldn’t stop thinking about everyone in the basement.

Mercedes had looked all right, but what about the other three? I thought Filiestra and I had made eye contact for a moment.

My vision blurred slightly.

“Bren!”

I looked up sharply.

Professor Blanchard was approaching.

For once, she looked alarmed.

“Professor. Should you be moving?”

“Thanks to Fily, yes.”

“What about everyone else?”

“For now, no one’s life is in danger.”

“I see…”

“You did well too, Bren.”

Without warning, the professor hugged me in full view of everyone.

“You worked very hard, especially for your first field assignment.”

“Oh. Um…”

“We’ll take over from here. Get some proper rest.”

At last, the tension left my body.

Professor Blanchard regarded Wilhelm, motionless at my feet, with a complicated expression.

“Wilhelm Braham.”

He did not move.

He only stared into empty space without responding.

“For the premeditated attack on a state institution, unlawful seizure of a public spell system, attempted mass murder, and numerous other suspected offenses, I hereby take you into custody under the Magical Purge Authority.”

Professor Blanchard snapped her fingers.

Translucent shackles wrapped around Wilhelm’s wrists.

He watched them as if they belonged to someone else.

The rhythmic sound of approaching footsteps came from the distance.

Men in black-and-navy cloaks stepped over the rubble.

The kingdom’s military police.

Unlike the city watch, they were armed officials responsible for magical crimes.

This might be beside the point, but where were you people ten minutes ago?

Wilhelm said nothing to the end.

The military police eventually led him away, and Professor Blanchard accompanied them to deal with the aftermath.

I sat there watching blankly until a voice came from directly above me.

“It’s over.”

I turned and saw Gerald.

He was descending in a slow, smooth glide.

His clothes were spotless, and he showed no sign of exhaustion.

He looked completely composed.

“Gerald.”

“I saw the battle. Walker, you are strong.”

It was unusual for Gerald to praise anyone, but he was also the only person in the Emperor Faculty who could have accomplished his own assignment.

I certainly couldn’t have done it.

“I expected you to win, but I did not imagine you would break his will to fight. Splendid.”

Gerald extended a fist toward me.

What?

Wait. What was this?

Could it be that thing?

The gesture I’d seen in sports manga countless times but never once encountered in real life?

“R-Right…”

I awkwardly touched my fist to Gerald’s.

Our knuckles met with a soft tap, and Gerald smiled.

I hadn’t expected him to be the kind of person who did that.

“Brendan! Gerald!”

I had grown familiar enough with that booming voice to recognize it without thinking.

“I’m so glad both of you are safe!”

Luluk waved vigorously.

Her clothes were dirty, but she appeared energetic.

The battle had looked intense, yet she seemed uninjured.

“The witch. Your contribution was worthy as well. You have my praise.”

“Hee-hee.”

Luluk looked a little embarrassed.

Without her precise evacuation guidance, a significant percentage of the spectators would unquestionably have run toward the magical beasts.

Her early identification of the safe routes had been an enormous contribution.

Thanks to her, the faculty, security forces, and upper-course students had been able to cover the evacuation routes quickly.

“Did you defeat that giant one too, Luluk?”

“Yes. It was quite sturdy, so I had to strike it rather seriously.”

From a distance, it had looked as if she were beating it one-sidedly, but apparently that was exactly what happened.

The impacts had sounded like a building demolition.

She possessed exceptional combat ability in addition to precise fundamental magic.

Perhaps Luluk was the most complete mage among us.

“Your repair of the tower was magnificent too, Brendan. As expected of our representative.”

“Indeed. After displaying such achievement, you will likely receive some reward from His Majesty.”

A reward.

I hadn’t considered that possibility.

We didn’t have every result yet, but we’d recovered from a nearly impossible situation.

Maybe I could take a little pride in what we’d done.

“I only hope everyone else is unharmed…”

I shared Luluk’s concern.

Professor Blanchard had said only that no one’s life was in danger.

But what condition were they actually in?

“Immediately before Walker arrived, Addison was treating Rock, who had suffered the worst injuries. The Magias medical team will handle their care from here. They should be fine.”

“I-I see. That’s wonderful, Brendan.”

I nodded quietly at Luluk.

Then this was over, at least for now.

The moment I thought that, the string holding me upright snapped.

“Brendan?”

I’d used a little too much magic.

Refining the tower had drained a great deal of my stamina even before I fought Wilhelm.

I had shaped too much magic this time.

Ah. I felt dizzy.

Not enough blood.

“Walker?”

By the time I realized I was sleepy, the edges of my vision had already turned white.

Strength left my body.

“Walker? Stay with me.”

Gerald’s voice sounded far away.

The sky suddenly filled my view.

Then everything went dark.