episode_0012

“Ugh… … !”

I straightened my body, frowning at the pain I felt throughout my body.

‘… It seems like it was a success.’

To be honest, I wasn’t sure.

Squeezing through the entrance to this dungeon was not described in the original work.

But I knew for sure.

Why Professor Patrick said entry was virtually impossible.

Since there was no information, I couldn’t really guess how bad it was, so I jumped in with all my magical energy to protect myself, but my body was in disarray. If you make up your mind and focus your magic only on defense, you can confidently block even the blade.

‘It’s a good thing you were fully prepared.’

If I had trusted only my own strength and entered, I probably would not have made it inside alive.

I was glad I got Alexis’ cooperation just in case.

─You… Are you crazy?

This was Alexis’ reaction when I called her and explained my plan.

I think it was a reasonable reaction. In fact, it was an act that was tantamount to explaining at length that I was going to commit suicide.

However, after I convinced her that it was the only way, Alexis eventually accepted my request.

He did his best to create a shield using magic.

And that wasn’t the end.

I lifted my throbbing hand and checked the seemingly expensive ring attached to it.

It was an item that Alexis handed to me after she caught me as I was about to turn around after completing my business.

─ This is something to carry with you in case of an emergency. This ring is said to have been made by an archmage long ago, and has the power to protect the user’s body.

Even to me, who was ignorant of these things, it seemed like a valuable item, but Alexis held out the ring to me, saying that if I was going to do this, I should be as prepared as possible.

As a result, his judgment was correct. Thanks to this, I was able to minimize damage and enter the dungeon safely. It would have been close without this ring.

‘… No, you’re not fine.’

My physical condition is not very good to say I am fine.

My clothes were already torn here and there, and I felt a lot of pain throughout my body.

Fortunately, nothing was broken, but the whole body was creaking and it seemed difficult to exert any power.

But even just this much can be considered a blessing.

Thinking like that, I once again felt grateful to Alexis.

I was determined to repay this favor.

‘I guess I should give Mary some praise for Alexis.’

There is no other way to repay it.

Alexis doesn’t have the ability to repay the favor with material things, and she probably doesn’t have anything she needs in the first place.

In some ways, it’s a small act of gratitude, but Alexis is probably happier about this than anything else.

Of course, that’s only after everything has been resolved safely.

I steeled myself and looked around inside.

‘… ‘It’s deformed.’

The atmosphere inside the lecture building was noticeably different from the original.

Not everything has changed at all, but it feels like the overall tone has become darker.

Unlike usual, the gloomy and subdued atmosphere gave off a gloomy feeling.

Perhaps, not only the atmosphere but also the structure itself has changed.

Because there was such a mention in the novel.

‘Mary… ‘You’ll be safe for now.’

Even if Alexis isn’t there, Cedric will be by her side.

Then it wouldn’t be dangerous right away.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t worried about Mary’s safety, but I decided not to go looking for her anyway.

Because it’s urgent right now.

If you’re lucky, you might meet him on the way to Aira.

“Phew… … .”

After taking a deep breath, stretch your feet.

Busy playing with your feet.

It was already quite late, and there was no time to walk slowly.

Running through a dungeon without knowing its structure or condition is tantamount to suicide, but now is not the time to choose between cold and hot.

Of course, this kind of action inevitably involves risk.

Cheolgruguk─

The sound of metal meeting together reached my ears.

And immediately I drew my sword.

Because I knew what was causing the sound.

Sure enough, soon a figure appeared in front of me.

No, the expression ‘person’s character’ may not be appropriate.

If I were to be honest, I think the expression doll-like would be more appropriate.

It would be more accurate to describe the appearance of a body of armor moving around with no people inside in that way.

It was a monster called ‘Living Armor’.

The sight did not evoke disgust like a monster like Ratman, but it was a strange enough sight that one would feel scared if one encountered it alone on a dark street.

It was my first time seeing it in person, but I knew that Living Armor would appear, so I wasn’t shaken.

Cheolgruguk─

There is only one living armor in front of you.

He must have recognized me, too, as he raised the sword in his hand in an old-fashioned posture and tried to greet me.

I didn’t slow down even after seeing that posture.

The gap between him and me quickly narrowed, and soon we were close enough for our swords to touch.

Huh!

The guy swung his sword with quite a fierce force.

But at that moment, I was already passing by him.

Tick!

The armor split in two with a sound that seemed too light to be metal cutting into metal.

And it didn’t move anymore.

‘Roughly… ‘This should be enough.’

Determine the hardness of the armor from the previous fight, and fine-tune the stamina and magic power to be used when dealing with Living Armor.

Considering the future, we need to utilize resources as efficiently as possible.

And even then, my legs didn’t stop working.

Hoping it wasn’t too late, I kept running forward.

***

How did this happen?

Ira was blaming her body for not moving as she wanted, and that thought occurred to her.

The beginning… Yes, it was not long after the tournament ended.

It was the same day as usual.

Take ordinary classes and train normally.

On such an ordinary day, I heard a voice.

– Are you going to stay like this?

It was the first voice I heard.

And, it was a strange voice.

It was a voice that sounded both male and female, adult-like and childlike.

When I first heard the voice, I looked around and tried to find the owner of the voice.

But no matter how much I looked around, there was no one that looked plausible.

– You know that nothing will change as it is.

Even though that was certainly the case, the strange voice continued.

Although she wasn’t sure, Ira sensed an ominous tone in her voice at that point.

In these cases, it may be a good idea to consult someone.

With that in mind, I was planning to go to the professor.

– You want to beat Cedric Allenhart, right?

The one word the voice spoke at that time made her stop in her tracks.

-You want to beat Cedric and surprise everyone.

In response, I felt like the laughter in my voice had deepened.

– You want to escape those cold stares from people, right?

It would have been right to just ignore it and move on, but Ira couldn’t take any steps.

Because I was confident I couldn’t refute the voice.

In the finals of a tournament that took place not long ago, she lost to Cedric.

Some people might say that being runner-up would be great, but she didn’t think so.

Because the years that had passed and the life she lived did not allow for it to be accepted and moved on so obediently.

The years of being born as the daughter of a great knight and dedicating everything to the sword, the past life of not knowing defeat were screaming.

A look I had never received before, a look that seemed to arbitrarily determine my own limitations.

People who gossip and tarnish their father’s reputation.

And those cold eyes that looked down at the defeated self.

All of that was eating away at her heart.

– Do you think you can win if you try hard? You know. You can’t defeat Cedric with your strength.

“… … .”

Ira couldn’t immediately refute the voice’s words.

I wanted to shout right away that no, that I could win if I worked hard and sharpened my skills, but I couldn’t.

Because she knew.

Cedric Allenhart’s skills.

That talent.

The final, which was considered a high-quality match, was actually different.

She did her best, but Ira knew. Cedric didn’t do his best.

Even so, we lost.

I was defeated by an opponent who was not sincere.

Cedric Allenhart is a disciple of the Sword Saint and is considered an undisputed genius.

As a swordsman and a first-year student in the same combat department, there was no way I wouldn’t have been aware of its existence.

Many people had been wondering from the beginning of the semester whether she or Cedric was superior, and she knew it too.

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t greedy.

The desire to defeat Cedric and become the best was clearly in her heart.

And finally the day came when I had to spar with him.

Anticipation along with tension moved through her body.

However, those expectations were soon cruelly shattered.

Cedric Allenhart was stronger than she imagined.

Despite being so defeated, Ira did not give up.

I thought that if I worked harder and sharpened my sword more, I could win.

I believed in myself and my father’s swordsmanship.

The appropriate stage, a tournament, had just been prepared.

I will definitely win against him there.

That’s what I promised.

but.

The results did not change.

Rather, they lost by a larger margin.

This isn’t the end.

Here is the following.

If you try harder, you can win next time.

She kept repeating those words, but one by one, negative thoughts sprouted into her mind.

Even if you try hard and with all your enthusiasm, will you be able to beat him?

Maybe I can’t win even if I go on for the rest of my life?

Even though she tried to ignore it, those dark thoughts held onto her like a swamp and wouldn’t let go.

Maybe that was why. The reason I couldn’t ignore the voice was.

– I will help you.

The voice whispered again.

– I will give you strength. The power to defeat Cedric.

The voice came softly and sweetly.

Ira was listening to that voice at some point.

– okay. That’s it.

A voice sounded satisfied with her reaction.

When I came to my senses later, I was in an unfamiliar place.

She was standing in an interior that appeared to be an academy building, but had a strange atmosphere.

Even though I felt doubtful about it, I tried to move my body to understand the situation, but it did not move as I wanted.

– I woke up.

At that moment, a voice was heard again.

– It would have been better to just stay asleep.

However, the atmosphere was different from when I first heard the voice.

To put it simply, it had a gloomy and sinister feeling.

Ira realized that she was holding a sword she had never seen before.

A jet-black sword that looks too grotesque to be called a sword, with creepy veins bulging on the outside.

The voice was coming from there.

Ira instinctively knew.

This situation was all caused by voices.

And the voice is also doing something unusual.

Only then did Ira regret her foolishness.

I shouldn’t have hesitated. I shouldn’t have listened to the voice.

I should have asked someone for help right away.

But it was a regret too late.

– You’re here just in time.

At that time, someone entered the room.

It was two students.

One man, one woman.

The man in the lead among them was a familiar face.

“… Aira Librion.”

Cedric Allenhart.

He appeared.

– Just keep watching. The sight of your revenge taking place.

‘please… someone… … .’

Ira could only watch helplessly as the scene unfolded, waiting for help that would never come.

Thinking over my own foolishness.