The Obsessive Regressor of The Academy

56. The Underground Vault

The day after Ena attacked the Academy. It goes without saying, but all of the Academy’s operations were temporarily suspended. In an instant, all academic schedules were canceled, and the upperclassmen, who had been secretly looking forward to the inter-school competition, all expressed their disappointment.

But there was no choice. Since the academic affairs officials had made that decision, it was impossible to argue against it.

Or rather, even if they did complain, would anything really change?

“……”

The view from a second-year dormitory window.

Behind their dormitory, where it always stood, loomed a great mountain. Meticulously managed to keep out monsters and dangerous wildlife, complete with well-trodden paths, it was, for the second-years, something of a sanctuary.

When an exam went awry or spirits dipped, the second-years would often retreat into the mountain, finding solace in their own hidden spots. Building small fires to stare blankly into, or sitting on benches along the path, gazing up at the sky. They rather enjoyed the comforting embrace of nature.

That mountain… vanished overnight. In its place, a shattered, broken plain revealed itself. Squirrels and beavers, homeless, tumbled across the bare earth. Second-years, likewise robbed of their sanctuary, wept. Then, when stray arcs of electricity crackled from the ground, they screamed and scurried back to the dormitory.

“……Hah.”

Too utterly devastated to be the result of a single mage’s attack. They say a grand mage, truly committed, could reshape the land, but it seemed that was no exaggeration. Hamon Yankoff, the top student of the second year, sighed deeply at the thought.

Born a natural warrior, he favored tales of knights, showing little interest in mages. He knew nothing of how truly remarkable this “Ena” was. He had heard the name, knew her to be a powerful mage, but never dreamed her might could reach such heights.

“……The more I look, the more absurd it seems.”

The scene framed by the window: the ravaged plain, the wild creatures scampering across it, and the heartbroken second-year students.

And above.

The trail of a pure white lightning strike cleaved the sky, its echo lingering in the heavens, flashing intermittently.

*

A portion of the Academy grounds was completely destroyed. Not by some coordinated assault, but cleanly obliterated by a single mage.

Unthinkable, really, for this to happen at Luminus Academy, teeming with powerful figures. It was little wonder letters flooded in from other academies, wanting to know what had occurred.

Some of the letters were mocking, but once they realized the culprit was Ena, the condolences flowed freely. Friede, reading the sincere letters from those grey-haired old-timers, burst into tears.

She hadn’t wanted it to be *this* destructive.

She certainly hadn’t anticipated moving an entire mountain just to restore it!

But lamenting wouldn’t change what happened. Ena had the talent to destroy, not to rebuild. Friede, too, was helpless. Without an earth mage, conjuring land from the ground was beyond her.

Ultimately, the only options were to transplant a mountain, or create an entirely new environment.

Either way, the expense would be considerable. For Friede, an elf born with a love for nature, leaving it as it was simply wasn’t an option. And so, with tears in her eyes, she decided to create a forest on the plain. Her personal funds and the Academy budget vanished in an instant.

But where there is expenditure, there is also revenue. As a matter of course, at the emergency Academy meeting, Friede strong-armed through a decision to grant Ena’s demands.

There were objections, mostly from those who had been away from the Academy and had only just returned. They strongly urged that they assess the situation before making any decisions.

But their arguments crumbled like dust upon seeing the white scar etched in the sky.

It is human nature, after all. Simply witnessing the aftermath of unstoppable violence can obliterate the will to resist. Even Friede, who had lived alongside beings like Ena – indeed, even longer than her – recognized that the supreme magic she wielded was incredibly dangerous.

Had she not controlled her output, the entire western side of the Academy would have been obliterated. Some might call that an overreaction, but Friede knew Ena’s true power. It wasn’t for nothing that even among the long-lived races, she was known as one not to be trifled with.

Anyway.

The conclusion of the meeting was that all of Ena’s requests would be granted, and the victims would receive appropriate compensation. A few stubborn conservatives still glared, but Friede ignored them. With justification on her side, nothing could stop her.

“Wait, hold on! This isn’t my fault, it’s my teaching assistant’s fault! She must have made a mistake in the process of helping to review the request!”

“Shut up and get out.”

“Just a moment, Dean! Deeaaan!!”

The professor who was reviewing requests entering the academy was swiftly cut off. He was one who had always leaned toward the corrupt faction anyway. There was no hesitation in dismissing him. Even if a large-scale purge was impossible at this point, eliminating one was not such a difficult matter.

Thus, with the announcement of the dismissed academy professor’s name, the incident from the 1st year’s first assignment was made widely public. Freide herself appeared in an official capacity, bowing deeply, and promised the utmost compensation to Gorsel, his deceased team members, and to Asel. Along with this came a two-week temporary suspension of the academy.

Naturally, the academy was in chaos. It faced all sorts of criticism and condemnation, and calls from nobles who had enrolled their children in the academy poured in incessantly. Freide became the academy’s shield, bearing the brunt of all the attacks.

Thanks to this, her assistant, Plum, was dying. No, he was dying along with Freide. It took a week to bring the chaotic academy back under control. The academy’s reopening date, which had been promised to Ena in advance, was approaching, but Freide politely requested a little more time.

Ena readily agreed. It meant more time to be with Asel, so she had no reason to refuse.

But for Freide, there was another formidable adversary besides Ena.

“The tea has a delightful flavor.”

He was an old man with striking white hair and a neatly tied beard. The robe he wore was enormous, but it couldn’t conceal the imposing stature within. Despite being a mage, his well-honed physique was visible in glimpses from inside the sleeves, and the dizzying, complex mana patterns characteristic of a space manipulator emanated from his entire being.

To Freide’s knowledge, only one person on the continent possessed such mana patterns.

A genius who completed his tier at a young age. But to learn space manipulation, he forcibly shattered all his tiers and rebuilt from the beginning, a strange oddity among oddities. Even so, he quickly reached the 8th tier and seized the position of Grand Mage, a monster.

Norium Ivarren.

He chuckled, clinking his teacup.

“Really. I would almost want to learn who made this.”

“…My assistant brewed the tea. If you wish, I can always ask her for the recipe.”

“Oh, there’s no need to go that far. An old man shouldn’t steal a young woman’s time, should he? I’ll be satisfied with this for today.”

Norium spoke with a kindly smile. But Freide couldn’t simply laugh along.

He pretends otherwise, but he’s a man who keeps dozens of water snakes loose in his heart. He definitely used to have violent tendencies similar to Ena’s, but since becoming a guild leader, it was as if his means had changed from physical violence to the tip of a pen and the end of his tongue.

Freide personally liked him better the way he was before. It’s easier to deal with a mage who does as he pleases than a mage who’s skilled in diplomacy.

Still, if Norium wasn’t here to fight, there was no need to worry too much. The mage sitting next to Norium, puffing on a pipe, was a concern, but she didn’t seem to have any fighting spirit either.

Ultimately, the purpose was a negotiation table. And Freide intended to grant him most of what he wanted, if possible.

Anyone with a sense of honor would have to. Of course, she couldn’t accept every condition he presented, but she would carefully adjust them to aim for a direction that would benefit Asel and Weiheim as much as possible.

It was better than engaging in a pointless battle of wills. In a situation where the superior and inferior were clear, there was no need to do anything that would raise voices.

Freide thought so and opened her mouth first, smiling brightly at Norium.

“I’ll start by apologizing. I’m truly sorry for the unfortunate incident that occurred at the academy where I asked you to trust and send people. I don’t have enough mouths to express how sorry I am.”

“The apology should be directed to Asel, not me. I’m not even a party to the incident. I was a little angry, but I’ve calmed down now.”

“Still, I am truly sorry.”

Norium smiled instead of answering and picked up a cookie to eat. Irina exhaled smoke into the air.

“It goes without saying that I intend to compensate for the apology. To both Weiheim and Asel. So don’t hesitate to say what you want. I’ll grant it as much as possible.”

“My request can come later. Rather, Asel’s first.”

Norium produced a neatly folded paper from his breast pocket. Friede verified its contents, humming softly to herself.

[I wish to retrieve a magical artifact from the Academy’s underground vault. Ownership, of course, to be transferred to me.]

Not many individuals knew of the Academy’s existence of an underground vault containing magical artifacts. How then, had Ascel so accurately identified the vault’s presence, and what exactly did he want from within it?

The answer was obvious. Friede turned to Irina, who was observing her, and sighed deeply. Irina grinned, extinguishing the embers in her pipe.

“Have you been well, Dean?”

“…I’ve been fine, yes. Though lately it’s been trying.”

“Keep your chin up.”

That was the end of their exchange. Irina, who abstained from caffeine, gulped down her milk, nibbling absently at a cookie broken in half. Friede averted her gaze from her, leaning back in her chair to deliberate.

A brief silence settled. Yet, no one present seemed particularly anxious.

Norium listened serenely to the birdsong drifting in from outside, while Irina manipulated the smoke she exhaled with graceful ease, a faint smile playing on her lips.

This continued for some time.

At last, the Dean spoke.

“Very well. I shall provide you with one artifact. Anything else?”

“That, I believe, is best discussed in person.”

“…What?”

Instead of answering, Norium smiled, striking the air before him with ferocious force.

[Transcension]

Crack!

A hairline fracture appeared in the space at the point of impact. The fracture rapidly expanded into a web of fissures spreading in every direction, ultimately forming a completely black gateway.

And from beyond, Ascel strode forth before Friede could fully comprehend the situation. Ena followed close behind him.

“The passage opened, so it seems things went smoothly?”

Ascel addressed Norium. Norium shrugged in response.

“Indeed. Already secured the promise of one artifact.”

“Excellent. Then let us proceed with the next stage of the plan.”

“Precisely what I desired.”

Together, they turned their attention to Friede. Ena settled quietly into the seat beside Irina, who peered down at her before releasing a plume of smoke.

*Zap!*

“Gah!”

A bolt of lightning seared into Irina’s flank. Retribution was swift and precise.

And observing all of this, Friede wore a smile of profound resignation.

The enemies she faced had instantaneously multiplied; two had become four.

Darkness threatened to engulf her vision.

It was her own doing.