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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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After the meal, everyone left the restaurant with satisfied expressions.
It was indeed a taste worthy of such high praise.
According to the original story, opinions were slightly divided, but I could only imagine how unfortunate those who couldn’t eat this would feel.
“It’s already dark.”
The sun, which had once filled the sky, had long since disappeared.
When they first entered the dining hall, the sky had been a crimson sunset. Now, pitch-black darkness had taken its place.
Fortunately, the streetlights illuminated the streets.
In the original story, the magic-created streetlights had a significant impact on the Empire’s public safety.
Humans found comfort in light itself, and crimes typically occurred in dark or enclosed places.
“It’s time to head back now.”
When they checked the time upon leaving the dining hall, it was 7 PM.
The curfew at Iliad Academy was 9 PM.
Compared to other academies, this was quite lenient, but this leniency was only allowed during the Spring Festival.
The academy’s system would undergo a complete transformation after the Spring Festival.
Even though I had altered the original story, the system itself had not changed.
The location of the incident had shifted, but RubericCaius’s death was still certain.
Moreover, the headmaster and other professors must have heightened their vigilance.
‘Now, the real story begins.’
The Spring Festival was, metaphorically speaking, a resting point.
It allowed the characters to take a break until Ruberic Caius was dealt with by Lee Han.
It also served as the foundational point to signify the expansion of the world-building.
I tapped the ground with my cane. Truthfully, there was much to consider.
First of all, Han had not yet realized his identity as the Hero.
While Agnes had grown stronger, the Hero was ultimately what mattered.
If he didn’t grow, none of this would mean anything.
“Deron. Is it tough keeping up?”
“No, it’s not a problem.”
At Han’s question, I shook my head. Although my mana was draining, it was still manageable.
As long as nothing unexpected happened…
“Help, please!”
Ah, I had just jinxed myself.
My eyebrow twitched as I turned toward the source of the voice.
A student in a familiar uniform stood before us, panting heavily. Their body was covered in wounds.
I had seen this student before. Definitely from Class B.
However, since they were just an extra barely described in the original, I hadn’t bothered to remember them.
Their name was probably…
“What’s going on?”
“Kedrick and Lucas got into a fight. But there are too many opponents.”
“What? Pat, how did you escape?”
Oh, right. Pat.
I snapped my fingers inwardly. Eleven students in Class A, ten in Class B.
The student panting before us was one of the extras the author had used to fill out the academy roster.
Judging by the lack of a surname, they were likely a commoner.
“They barely managed to get me out. As you know, my specialty is speed.”
“Well, that makes sense.”
“Please help! Even though we showed our academy identification, they wouldn’t believe us!”
Pat looked genuinely aggrieved. However, I had a rough idea of the situation.
‘Those guys must have powerful backing.’
While I couldn’t pinpoint who had started the fight, the fact that they had picked a fight with academy students was telling.
They must have been confident in their protection to act so boldly.
Furthermore, the students in question were commoners from Class B. No matter how talented or exceptional they were, outside the academy, they would still be viewed as commoners.
Of course, the academy issued identification cards to protect commoner students. These cards allowed all students, regardless of Class A or B, to be granted status equivalent to nobility.
Even with that in mind, someone had instigated a fight. There must have been a reason.
What should I do about this?
Their backing was bound to be substantial. In contrast, I had none. The name of the Philasia noble family was no longer something I could wield…
Wait a moment.
I didn’t have to fight myself, did I?
I had been such an idiot.
Just as Erina opened her mouth to say something, I stepped forward, leaning on my staff.
Pat gulped audibly and looked up at me.
“Show me where.”
I spoke curtly, as if chewing out the words.
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“Even though you’re a commoner, you’ve got money. Is this because you’re an academy student?”
“Boss, this one’s even carrying a relic!”
“Jackpot! Take everything.”
The Empire’s streets were bright thanks to the streetlights. Naturally, criminals instinctively sought out the darkness.
Just as light cast shadows, no matter how brightly the night was illuminated, darkness always existed.
This was one such place.
“Ugh…”
A groan echoed. The man looked down at his feet. A desperate commoner, frantically declaring he was an academy student.
“What a pity. We don’t want to mess with students like you, you know.”
“By the way, Boss…”
“What?”
Was his name Lucas?
Anyway, after confirming the commoner had lost consciousness, the boss raised his head.
One of his subordinates, known for his sharp thinking, tilted his head and asked:
“Even if they’re commoners, can we really beat up academy students like this?”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re just following orders.”
“Orders? From where?”
“Where else? Count Caius.”
“That’s a big name. But why would the Count give us a job like this?”
The Red Wolves were a notorious gang known throughout the Empire.
Though they avoided murder, they specialized in violence and intimidation, earning them the title of wolves who didn’t stain their teeth with blood.
Kern, the leader of the wolves, grinned, baring his teeth.
“He’s taking out his anger over his son’s death.”
“Well, there’s no need to overthink it. We just collect the payment and the spoils, right?”
“Exactly. If we’ve got everything, let’s move out.”
Kern kicked the unconscious student to the side and stood
Although one had escaped thanks to the desperate resistance of the other two, it didn’t matter.
If what the Count had told him was true, they were all Class B students.
Even if reinforcements arrived, they wouldn’t be able to break through the Red Wolves’ strength.
‘Worst case, we just beat them a little more.’
If they proved too annoying, he’d deal with them that way.
Kern was thinking this as he turned to leave—or tried to.
“Is this the place?”
“Yeah, they were fighting six or so guys here.”
Damn it. Kern spat on the ground. He had suspected reinforcements might come, but he hadn’t expected them so quickly.
As he drew his sword, he signaled his subordinates with a glance.
It was a clear message—if things went wrong, break through and escape.
His subordinates nodded in understanding.
As the silhouettes of the reinforcements appeared in the illuminated space beyond, Kern shouted:
“Now!”
He charged forward at full speed.
Confident in his abilities, Kern believed that his upper-tier low-rank aura attack would be enough to break through.
With one aura-enhanced strike, he planned to carve a path through and escape with his subordinates.
But…
-Clang!
A chilling beauty with icy eyes blocked Kern’s strongest strike.
The sword she wielded exuded an overwhelming, inexplicable cold.
“There will be no escape.”
She spoke as she stamped her foot hard on the ground.
From that point, a sheet of ice rapidly spread outward.
‘A Magic Swordsman?’
Judging by the faint hue on her blade, she was at the same level as him.
‘I’ve never heard of a Magic Swordsman in Class B.’
Something felt off. Kern quickly deflected the white-haired student’s sword—a trick he had picked up from years of surviving in the backstreets.
“….!”
The girl’s eyes widened. She seemed surprised that her sword had been so easily deflected.
But Kern didn’t have time to care.
He had to escape.
Judging by the atmosphere, these students were not typical of Class B.
The level of talent needed to reach her strength at such a young age…
‘They must be Class A.’
Kern came to that conclusion.
“Haaah!”
Letting out a war cry, he stomped hard on the ground.
The ice shattered like fragile glass under his mana-infused foot.
He charged forward.
“Boss!”
His subordinates had all been blocked by the black-haired and white-haired students.
It had been difficult enough dealing with the white-haired girl, but the black-haired one seemed even stronger.
‘Damn it.’
Kern ground his teeth. The situation was dire; he had no doubt about it.
If things continued like this, he would be done for.
Then I’ll save myself, Kern decided. If he could avoid being captured, Count Caius would take care of the rest.
With the alley forming a straight path, he only needed to get past one more obstacle.
Kern quickly scanned the two figures before him.
The first was a red-haired girl, nervously drawing her sword and swallowing hard.
The other was a gray-haired man, calmly leaning on a cane, staring intently at him.
Logically, the gray-haired man was the better target. He wasn’t armed and appeared weak.
However, Kern’s instincts—honed from years of survival in the backstreets—screamed against that choice.
‘If I approach him, I’ll die.’
A sense of certain death gripped him at the thought of confronting the gray-haired man.
Kern didn’t understand why, but he trusted his gut.
“Argh!”
He followed his instincts.
It was his survival method—the reason the Red Wolf still roamed the backstreets.
As he forcefully channeled his mana, blood trickled from his lips.
Even so, he infused his sword with mana, preparing a strike he was certain the red-haired girl couldn’t withstand.
‘Just dodge. Please, just dodge.’
He could hear footsteps behind him.
The two brats had likely taken down his subordinates and were now closing in.
The only way Kern could survive was by piercing through the red-haired girl in one strike.
He was confident he could.
After all, the girl before him was trembling. A sword-wielding individual that terrified couldn’t possibly put up a fight.
However, in the next moment, something surged from the girl’s sword.
‘What?’
A crimson flame danced before Kern’s eyes.
At the same time, the girl spoke a single word.
“Scarlet Flame.”
Deep red flames lit up the dark alleyway.
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