Read Novel Full Chapter 46
Chapter 46 is out!
TLN:
Hello everyone,
There’s couple of announcement. There’s sport week activities happen in my workplace next week and I’ll be involved to manage the event. Therefore, I might not be able to translate chapter 47 and 48 fast. There might even slight delay (more than seven days) but of course I will try my best to release within seven days period. Please bare with such inconvenience. Thank you!
Without further ado, here’s chapter 46 and this chapter has been edited by Marth. ????
Everything is for the Disciples
"Excuse me, do you have a moment?" (Sirius)
Everyone in the room turned to look my way when I said that. The noble sitting by the lectern looked at me as though I were nothing but a bother that he couldn't be troubled with.
“What is it, bastard? I told you to sit down quietly." (Noble)
“In truth, I have a stomach ache – a bad one. May I please go to use the restroom?" (Sirius)
“Don't joke with me! Do you honestly think I would allow something like that in this situation? This is why children…" (Noble)
“Please, don't tell me that! It's really bad!" (Sirius)
I walked towards the noble while exclaiming such a thing, grasping my stomach like it were about to burst. The noble was caught off guard by my movement, shocked that I would do so in this situation; meanwhile the mercenaries started moving to intercept me.
“What is wrong with you kid!? Oi, capture him!" (Mercenary-1)
“Don't make us repeat our words again; kids should just remain seated!" (Mercenary-2)
The mercenaries held their hands out to grab me and stop my movements, but I pretended to stumble slightly and evaded them. Using the opening behind them, I continued advancing towards the teacher's lectern. The mercenaries tried to grab me again, but I pretended to stumble once more, nearly falling all the way forward.
I wouldn't have fallen all the way normally, but I decided to take advantage of the forward momentum I had, and fell to the ground. Using that momentum, I rolled quickly a few times, stopping a short distance from the Noble.
“What are you guys doing!? Return him to his seat quickly!" (Noble)
“Cheh, ordering us around so arrogantly…" (Mercenary)
I pushed off of the ground to stand up slightly while the mercenaries clicked their tongues in annoyance. The whole class was watching my movements intently, trying to discern my intentions. Meanwhile, I grabbed the leg of a mercenary who made the mistake of coming too close…
“Aah, it's fine. If this is the situation… right!" (Sirius)
I pulled his leg with all my strength. The mercenary used his arms and elbows to try and cushion his landing as he fell, but that left his guard down. Right after he hit the ground I pivoted and, with all my weight behind it, slammed my elbow into his stomach.
My attack left the mercenary unconscious and foaming at the mouth. That's the first one.
“You b-bastard!" (Mercenary)
The nearby mercenary stood up and swung his sword down at me, but I avoided it by getting closer to his chest. Immediately after, I hit the bottom of his jaw with a palm heel strike. His brain rattled, disorienting him, and he sunk to the ground moaning incomprehensibly.
“B-bastard!? What about the hostages…" (Noble)
“Hostages? Are there any hostages?" (Sirius)
There were five mercenaries to begin with. I took out the two who were keeping certain people hostage. As for the remaining three? Well…
“Sirius-sama, it's over." (Emilia)
“I'm also done, Aniki." (Reus)
The siblings had already succeeded in neutralizing them while I was preoccupied.
The noble was petrified at how quickly the situation had turned around, the same went for our classmates.
“So… the tables have turned. How long are you going to sit there looking stupid?" (Sirius)
“H-how dare you… a-acting like you could get away with this…" (Noble)
“That's my line. You shouldn't talk, when you forcefully involved so many people in a stupid matter." (Sirius)
The tides of battle had finally turned against them. I noticed the noble making small movements towards the door, as though he would bolt. Of course, I had no intention to let him do that. I plunged into his chest and in one go, grabbed his arm and judo-threw him onto the floor. Though it may have been a little bit overkill, it gave our furious classmates a bit of satisfaction.
“Excellent, they are all defeated. Let's tie them immediately." (Sirius)
“I did it already, Aniki. But, I used a towel, which isn't very secure. Does anyone have rope?" (Reus)
“Aah… I have some! Because I planned to use it this afternoon." (Classmate)
Since a classmate offered some rope, we tightly bound and secured the intruders. By the time we finished releasing the other hostages, the remaining students had come to grips with the current situation. The intruders said something about a revolution as they entered, so there must be a leader somewhere organizing this.
I want the teacher to take responsibility as an adult and lead the class here, but he hasn't moved since he was first bound, even now that we've released him.
“Uu..aah…" (Teacher)
“Aniki, why is Sensei not moving?" (Reus)
“His consciousness… is there. However, going from how he is cramped up, he was probably poisoned." (Sirius)
“Sirius-sama, I found this on one of the mercenaries." (Emilia)
Emilia came back from checking on the status of the unconscious mercenaries, and she handed me a small container filled with needles. On closer inspection, the needles were clearly coated with some sort of substance. The mercenaries probably pricked the teacher with this when they tied him up.
I checked Sensei by using [Scan]. His heart rate was normal, and there weren't any life threatening symptoms.
“If they are carrying something like this, they likely have an antidote as well." (Sirius)
“Understood. Maybe in this container?" (Emilia)
“Wait a second, Emilia. Leave the treatment to me." (Reese)
Reese was lacking in combat ability compared to the siblings, so she sat quietly while the mercenaries were being bound. She excels in medicinal application though, so she took the opportunity to speak up. She gave the medicine that Emilia previously had to the teacher, and then settled down to focus on using recovery magic.
Now that the teacher is in good hands, I have to do something about the current situation. Many were panicked or flustered after realizing the situation they were facing.
While I was thinking about calling out to everyone to calm them, Emilia stepped forward in my place.
“Please calm down, everyone. There's no point in making a fuss here." (Emilia)
“But what should we do? Where do we go?" (Classmate)
“Right now it's most important that we remain calm. Before we make any other decisions, we need to gather more information about the current situation." (Emilia)
“What Nee-chan said is right, everyone! We should obtain information by interrogating these guys." (Reus)
Reus followed up by standing on Emilia's side, with a carefree smile like always. The fact that Reus was the same no matter the situation calmed the entire class, and soon everyone had regained their composure.
“Those two are right, we are all safe. We should calm down before anything else." (Classmate)
“Let's interrogate the intruders, to find more information!" (Classmate)
It would've been troublesome if there the students panicked and caused an uproar, but just as the situation started to spin out of control, Emilia and Reus straightened them all out. As I stand there, admiring the siblings' work, I notice them glance over at me questioningly. Even with results like these, they still turn to me for approval? I want to speak my congratulations but, given the current situation, I just smile. Even if I don't say anything, they'll understand. Emilia and Reus see my smile, and their faces light up.
A few minutes later, the mercenaries and noble were lined up in the front of class, ready for interrogation.
Out of nowhere, the school started to shake slightly. Feeling a sudden influx of strong magic power, I glance towards the window. Though slightly delayed, Emilia and a few other sharp students in the class picked up on the magic power too. However, glancing out the window revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
It's just my perception, but I felt like the mana in the atmosphere was a lot thinner than normal. I couldn't yet tell what, but something definitely happened. I was about to invoke [Search] to look for myself, but one of the girls in class shouted to us first.
“Hey everyone! Look outside, outside!" (Classmate)
This classroom faces the training ground, so even though there is a short distance between the two, it is visible. Indeed, looking at the training ground, every one of the students were surprised.
“Eh… Are those golems?" (Classmate)
“That's not funny. Why are such things here!?" (Classmate)
“Look, there are children from other classes." (Classmate)
Countless Rock Golems were spread across the field, each larger than two fully grown adults.. Meanwhile, the students who failed to resist were made to walk in a row. It seemed that they were heading to the arena.
Nonetheless, the students were strangely obedient. There were more than just golems there; nobles and mercenaries too, but surely one or two would try to resist. Straining my eyes to get a better look, something on the students stood out.
“… Are those slave collars?" (Sirius)
“!? Sirius-sama… Perhaps…" (Emilia)
“Aniki, those students were all wearing slave collars. How dare they use them, and so many too!" (Reus)
There were about 100 students that could be seen there, just by rough estimation. Since the school has about 600 students, the number of students who got caught is a considerably large proportion.
Since the wearer's mana is drained by the collar even if they are not doing anything, the whole body gets heavy and they will feel weary. Preparing such costly things to this magnitude is highly indicative of the seriousness of their revolution.
The siblings, who wore such collars for almost a year in the past, looked at the students with sorrowful expressions.
“That's terrible…" (Emilia)
“…I'm not going to permit that." (Reus)
However, they are not oppressed existences any longer, and they've gained strength that would allow them to go toe-to-toe with most adults. The proof of this lies in their open anger at the situation; them of the past would only feel remorse and pity, knowing that they wouldn't be able to do anything.
As one might expect given these circumstances, I won't attack the revolutionaries as is. Instead, I stroke Reus and Emilia's heads to calm them down. At the same time, one of our classmates began addressing the class with a tense look on their face.
“W-well. This is not an ordinary case anymore. Should we inform the castle or town guards first?" (Classmate)
“That's true. We couldn't do anything against mercenaries before, let alone now with so many golems aiding them." (Classmate)
“Let's have everyone split off into small groups to try and escape out of the school grounds. We can bring back help!" (Classmate)
It's a good choice, thinking of getting outside help. Furthermore, splitting into small groups provides a good balance of safety and stealth. That said, this is hardly a normal scenario. The revolutionaries planned the takeover of this school carefully, and systematically achieved their goal. Would they be careless enough to allow for such a thing?
While we discussing our actions outside, the tied up noble started cackling.
“Hahaha! Foolish damn kids. Do you think you can easily escape just like that?" (Noble)
“What the heck are you saying? If we all run away, one of us will…" (Classmate)
“Do you think we wouldn't take countermeasures? You should look outside the wall!" (Noble)
I looked past the wall that surrounded the school, and I could see a faint barrier of light expanding towards the sky.
“What is that? Was there such a mechanism on the walls before?" (Classmate)
“You see that? That barrier is designed to prevent against an enemy invasion. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out. You're trapped here!" (Noble)
“Look at that senpai over there!" (Classmate)
When I looked to where the girl pointed at, there was a student repeatedly firing [Flame Lance] at the wall. But, there wasn't a single scratch on the wall. No matter how many times the student used [Flame Lance], the wall stayed undamaged. Eventually the student was attacked by mercenaries and golems from behind. He resisted for a bit, using [Flame Lance] on the ground nearby, but grew exhausted with each cast until his eventual defeat. A slave collar was put on him, and the student was escorted away.
“So, the barrier is unyielding even with [Flame Lance], huh? However, could it really resist against the combined firepower of all of us?" (Classmate)
“… Stop it." (Teacher)
The teacher, who had only barely recovered and still couldn't move, stopped the students. Reese supported his shoulder as he stood up carefully and began moving towards a chair. He began to talk after confirming that he had everyone's attention.
“The headmaster made that barrier. Even we had a hard time breaking it, and it repaired itself mere moments after we did. It's probably impossible for you guys to break it in the first place." (Teacher)
“It's that strong, even as a prototype?" (Sirius)
“The defense is perfect. The problem is the amount of time required between usage; there is a defect where it can't be used for almost half a year because there is not enough mana in the atmosphere." (Teacher)
The strange sensation that I felt a moment ago was probably the barrier activating. I extended the radius of my [Search] outside the barrier, but it failed to return anything. The barrier is designed to defend against not only physical attacks, but magic too.
“How long the barrier can hold once it is activated?" (Sirius)
“… One day. To make things worse, not even the headmaster could stop it once it is in operation." (Teacher)
Everyone looked down because of teacher's words.
No matter how big the school it is, it's going to difficult to hide against infiltration tactics that use golems. While the students wallowed in their silence, grim faces all around, the noble and the mercenaries began to laugh again.
“Do you understand the situation now? Release us immediately if you understood! If you do it now, I'll attach the collar nicely, you know?" (Noble)
“You beastkin brat! I absolutely won't forgive you!" (Mercenary)
“Release us immediately, you bastards!" (Mercenary)
While the intruders became rowdy again, thinking they were close to being released, I organized all the information I had collected up to this point in my head.
Their purpose is to banish all beastkin from the region, and turn Elysium into a so-called "paradise" for the human race.
To do that, they will remove the King who opposed the idea and work out new policies. However, they occupied the school before targeting the castle. Due to this, I already assumed that they were going to use students in the battle. Seeing their use of the slave collars just confirmed my suspicions.
It's unlikely that they want to make the students fight, since the collars constantly drain mana and wear the users down. Instead, they probably intend to use the students as shields.
Put collars on as many children as possible while the shield surrounding the school is up. Once it drops, push forward using the children as a defensive wall and advance on to the castle. Especially with noble children as hostages, it will be hard for the castle to fight. If they do, they risk killing or otherwise harming the children, and the castle's reputation will plummet. That said, it is impossible to resist an invasion of this scale without casualties on at least one side. If they retreat, their reputation drops as well. Either way, the castle is at a massive disadvantage.
It isn't common sense, but it is an effective tactic. As someone who would grasp any method to succeed in my past life, a part of me can appreciate the thought and execution of their plan thus far.
But on the whole… I feel disgusted.
The ones forced to participate weren't adults. They were children.
You may call it glorification or a revolution, but it's nothing more than terrorism or a coup. I can't see this as anything other than foolish discrimination against beastkin.
There is one thing… I can do.
I need to get information before selecting the next course of action. I approached the noble we bound, grabbed him by the neck and violently lifted him up.
“Oi you. How many nobles and mercenaries are involved in this so-called revolution?" (Sirius)
“W-what, you bastard? Acting all arrogant suddenly… bu puee..!" (Noble)
Since he resisted and was being uncooperative, I struck him across the cheek with the back of my hand. His face flushed and a burning red mark on his cheek, the noble was silent out of shock.
“I'll ask you one more time. How many nobles and mercenaries are involved in this revolution?" (Sirius)
I thrust a knife to his neck and released a bit of mana-infused bloodlust towards him. The nobles breathing turned ragged, and he began sweating profusely.
“H-heee… w-what are you!?" (Noble)
“If you know nothing, say so. I'm done with you." (Sirius)
“A-alright! Stop, I'll tell you! Please, release me!" (Noble)
Although the frightened noble did talk in the end, he had very little useful information, as I expected. Admittedly, I didn't expect him to give up so much information after such a small threat.
From what I understood, Gregory was the head of the revolution, and it was about 30 people strong at it's core. He had no idea how many mercenaries were hired to assist.
“There is one strong leader among the mercenaries. I don't really know much else, that fellow is the one who gathered all of the other mercenaries together." (Noble)
“…Good job. Take a break slowly." (Sirius)
Since he continued struggling even as I was leaving him alone, I strangled his carotid artery and he passed out.
I asked the mercenaries as well, but they knew even less information. They seemed to have been lower on the ladder than the leader of the group, so they didn't know much. All I could learn about the leader of the mercenaries was that despite all of his ability, he was still just a muscle-brain. Still, I learned nothing more of use from them, so they faced the same punishment as the noble.
Some of the classmates were pulled by series of events but they left it alone since this was the situation.
Finishing up the interrogation quickly, the disciples were waiting for my instruction side by side behind me.
“You guys… do you understand this?" (Sirius)
“Of course. I will not allow such thing." (Emilia)
“I'm going to send those who brought the collars flying!" (Reus)
“I'll do my best!" (Reese)
The disciples understood from my behavior what I was intending to do, and they agreed. I bent down to organize the weapons we collected from the mercenaries; a couple of swords and a handful of rusted knives. Nothing good. Unfortunately, our normal weapons were left back at Diamond Cottage.
Seeing our behaviour, our classmates became increasingly curious. That culminated in Mark and a few others approaching us to question our motives.
“Sirius-kun, are you by any chance…" (Mark)
“That's right. If we can't escape by fleeing, then I'll fight the remaining intruders. I'll manage it somehow." (Sirius)
“What do you mean by that!? There are tons of golems, magic users, and even mercenaries out there! We don't have anywhere near enough fighting experience to take them on, don't you realize that!?" (Mark)
“I would indeed likely lose if I were to attack them directly. But there's no real difference in war potential here. The most troublesome enemies here, golems…" (Sirius)
Those golems look very sturdy, but they can be easily destroyed by [Flame Lance]. Furthermore, it's incredibly slow, so if you target their legs, they'll go down for good in no time.
After explaining to the class about the golem's weakness, vitality started to return to their eyes.
“I won't stop you if you want to fight together. However, those who don't want to fight or kill should stay behind. There is a very real possibility that you will die if you are careless, and you may not have the luxury of holding back against your opponents." (Sirius)
“I will fight of course. I'm not going to sit here hesitating. I swear in the name of the Holtia household, I'll show them what it means to be on the receiving end of my [Flame Lance]." (Mark)
“Me too! I'm not going to let those guys do whatever they want!" (Classmate)
“Even if it means risking my freedom… I'll fight as well!" (Classmate)
Since there were people not suited for battle, it was decided that they would secure and hold the classroom with the teacher, who still couldn't move. I'll leave further instructions to the teacher.
Now, I want more people if possible but… it seemed the [Search]'s reaction was coming from the other side.
I looked towards the corridor, where the sound of footsteps were rapidly approaching. The other students tensed up, and started to prepare for a fight, but I quickly told them that the ones coming our way were allies. The door slid open, and in came Reus' underlings.
“Are you alright, Aniki!?" (Reus’ underlings)
“Ooh! Is it you guys? You guys are safe after all." (Reus)
“Some are injured, there are some who can't join us yet but we are safe." (Reus’ underlings)
“Alright, I'm going to fight them now. Give me a hand." (Reus)
“””Understood!""" (Reus' underlings)
The classroom became cramped, but the student's morale was raised alongside the increase in people who could fight.
When I checked other places with [Search], there were still students who remained in each classroom. They are probably waiting for someone to come help, or trying to escape without being noticed by the intruders, since none of the groups are large enough to fight back. Many of the groups were moving towards the arena, despite their dismal odds at winning a fight. At least the hostages are unlikely to be harmed, even should they fail.
After grasping the location of the remaining students, I gathered my disciples and explained the flow of events from now on.
“Listen, gather several people from each classroom. The enemies are adults; both nobles and mercenaries. You are only to fight them, refrain from attacking the students of other classes. If it comes down to a contest of ability, it will pay to have all the assistance you can." (Sirius)
“Yes. Later, we can alter the plan if we can't attack from the front." (Emilia?)
“That's right. There are many key points where we can attack from, so gather every student just in case." (Sirius)
“Aniki, isn't it better for you to approach them?" (Reus)
“I think it would be easier for people to trust you given your achievements at the school." (Sirius)
People here may listen to my explanation, but at the end of the day, I'm just a vague existence backed by only rumors. In a pinch, it may be hard for them to truly trust me. On the other hand, the siblings are very popular throughout the school, and their achievements are widely known. The other students would likely have an easier time putting their trust in the siblings than me.
“Leaving Sirius-sama aside, will we be alright on our own?" (Emilia)
“Just consider this another type of training. Besides, I plan to move alone for the time being." (Sirius)
“””Ehh!?""" (Emilia/Reus/Reese)
The disciples were shocked by my words. My absence would make their task a lot harder, but I decided to do this back when I realized that the barrier was in play.
“I'm going to check the barrier. Perhaps, there might be a loophole in the design that I can exploit." (Sirius)
“Rather than Sirius-san going alone, wouldn't you be safer with others by your side" (Reese)
“It's best that you gather as many people as you can, and do it as fast as possible. If I leave with a lot of people, you won't have as many to support you, nor to defend if mercenaries or golems are sent. Especially if they get sent because I left with other students. Besides… are you saying that you're hopeless without me?" (Sirius)
'Are you hopeless without me?'. The disciples opened their eyes wide when they heard that.
That's right, it's embarrassing to rely on me forever. Unlike the situation in the labyrinth, you won't be killed should you fail here. This is much safer than fighting those bloodthirsty killers.
“You wanted strength in the first place so nobody could use you, not me, not adults, not nobles. This is a test, to see if you've progressed towards that end. It's pointless if you have to rely on me, right?" (Sirius)
“… Yes! I'm not going to rely on Sirius-sama and I want Sirius-sama to rely on me." (Emilia)
“I want to stand tall with Aniki! I'll do it!" (Reus)
When I think about it, the siblings always say they want to be helpful to me. They probably would have understood, even had I not provoked them.
“Emilia, Reus… can you do it?" (Sirius)
“”Yes."" (Emilia/Reus)
“Reese too, please follow those two." (Sirius)
“Please leave it to me!" (Reese)
Reese, who stood on the side, grasp her fist with determined face. Previously, Reese would become flustered when I would ask something of her, but her heart has grown strong following her reconciliation with her father.
After that, I passed around the information about the arena that I got from [Search], and I advised them on how to deal with the mercenaries and golems. Additionally, the battle this time will involve large groups of people, not just individuals. They should take care to fight correctly as a group, so I taught them a few basics.
Once I was done, I turned back to the disciples.
“I'm not familiar with that barrier. I'm not sure how long it might take me to do anything with it, so you should give up on the idea of me merging with you during the fight." (Sirius)
“Sirius-sama, please do whatever you want to do. We'll be fine, you'll see." (Emilia)
“That's what I want to hear. But don't overdo it, okay? Retreating if things get too dangerous is not being a coward. It's being smart." (Sirius)
“Leave it to me, Aniki!" (Reus)
I gently brushed my disciples' head at the end, and Mark called out to me as I was exiting the class.
He should have heard our conversation since he was nearby, but I'll make it look like I'm running away if he comes to try and dissuade me. I thought this, but noticed that Mark had a refreshing smile on his face, as he extended his hand to me.
“Don't worry about them, I'll support them with all of my strength. You don't have to hold back." (Mark)
“Is that alright? Isn't there something about the so-called 'Noble Pride' that prevents you from following the servants of another?" (Sirius)
“Well… that's if only they are ordinary servants. However, those two are stronger than me and they have more battle experience. Besides, they are not servants in this place, but classmates. It would be shameful if I acted in any other way." (Mark)
“Is that so? Then, I'm sorry but I must leave this to you, Mark. Don't act rashly, please." (Sirius)
“That's my line. Despite knowing their strength, I don't know enough about yours. I'm not that concerned about your safety, but please be careful regardless." (Mark)
“Aah, thank you." (Sirius)
As we finished our handshake, Mark pushed my back and I stepped out of the classroom.
I felt a bit guilty.
—
My first destination is Diamond Cottage. Leaving Emilia aside, Reus can't fight seriously with that mercenaries' sword. I immediately met enemies after exiting the school building, so I shot [Magnum] at each magic formation being used as a catalyst for the golems. Then I ran away, knocking down mercenaries and nobles in my way with Taijutsu.
I continued towards the school dorms and exited out from the main road, but since Diamond Cottage and the dorms are a little distance away from the school, those places are outside of the barrier. Even though I could see both structures, I couldn't proceed further.
However…
“No matter where you look up there, it's just empty sky huh." (Sirius)
From there, I invoked [Air Step] and flew up and over the topmost part of the barrier. As one would expect, the barrier does end up in the sky, so I got over it with little trouble.
It's called a barrier, but it would be useless against flying monsters. Well, this was just a prototype. I think I'll summarize my findings and write a report on the deficiencies of the prototype for the headmaster when we next meet.
Speaking of, I wonder what he will do when he returns to the school.
He left school due to sham intelligence, and the barrier that he personally invented was used as part of the invasion. The headmaster may not forgive himself after this.
But… as an elf who's lived for over four centuries, can you really be outdone this easily?
I may have nothing but images of him eating cake in my mind recently, but he is the kind of person who constantly strives towards his own improvement. He has gained so much experience, but didn't expect this situation at all?
Instead of using it as barrier, I wonder if he thought it would be used to trap someone inside. That said, he mentioned the potential for a dangerous situation two days ago, so perhaps we are all dancing in his palm.
Well, I thought of various things but hopefully it's not what I suspect. If that's the case, even we were deceived by him. I'll definitely hit him when he gets back, should that turn out to be the truth.
I arrived at Diamond Cottage and equipped my battle gear underneath the school robes. I took to the sky again carrying Reus' sword and Emilia's knife, flying back over and inside the barrier.
I probably should have called for reinforcements from town or the castle since I was outside the barrier, but I decided against it. I don't think it will be necessary.
And, I don't plan to join my disciples immediately.
Because… I have decided that this situation is useful as experience for those three.
The labyrinth event was another example.
I stepped in at the last moment at that time, but it isn't good for me to always assist them in every situation. I have only one body, and I can't always protect them if I'm not nearby. Even I can only do so much.
For that reason, I want them to acquire experience and solve something independently from me, while they still can.
This may be rather harsh on them, but I have other matters to attend to. Hence, I must believe in my disciples.
Although this is bad for the other students, they should be fine if they work alongside my disciples. There's a saying that goes, 'If you love your children, send them out into the world', and this situation provides them various kinds of experience. Honestly, I want to fight side by side with them, but I don't want them to become spoiled by my assistance. I have to be firm and limit myself to watching over them for now.
… Of course, I'll intervene right away if it gets too dangerous.
—
When I returned to the school building, I immediately found my disciples.
They headed towards the arena, where the captured students were held. There were more than hundred students following them. They seemed to have succeeded in gathering the scattered students from each classroom.
Led by Reus, the golems and mercenaries that stood in their way were mowed down. Cheers erupted each time a golem was brought down by Reus or Emilia. It's natural that they gain trust from both underclassmen and upperclassmen after that display of skill. I'm happy they're showing considerable leadership aptitude.
—
The situation appeared to be alright for now so I'm going to do my job.
I took off the robes, readied my battle outfit, and took out my new mask. Reese never returned the mask I used when I rescued her. Even now, that mask is carefully stored away in her desk.
With my disguise complete, I invoked [Search] to look for golems and mercenaries hiding in other locations than the arena. They don't all stay in one location, they spread out to search for rogue students.
So my disciples can advance without fear of an ambush from behind, it's my job to deal with them completely. I'm not helping my disciples directly; so it's fine to help them like this, from the shadows. To help them with this training, I'll adjust the difficulty of the situation a bit.
[Search] revealed 30 enemies inside the arena… And 40 outside.
I dashed towards the first group.
—
The first encounter was a bunch of mercenaries; they were garbage in more than one sense.
They had pinned down a female upperclassman, tearing off her robe.
They were garbage, plain and simple, so there was no need to go easy on them. I shot the first man twice with [Magnum], and bound the second with [String] before sending him flying. The female student, who was nearly raped, was extremely confused and very disoriented. I hit her vital point gently, knocking her out.
After that, I buried the men in holes I made in the ground using magic, filling the holes in up to their necks. I then took the female student back to our classroom to recover. Hopefully she would think of it as nothing but a bad dream.
The next targets I found were golems and some magicians, but they were already engaged in battle with some students.
Although the battle looked like a stalemate at first glance, further inspection showed the students nearly out of mana. The inevitable outcome, if I didn't interfere, was clear. For now, I crushed the golem by using my long distance form of [Impact], and then I proceeded to break the magician's arms and legs one by one.
I leave the remaining work to the students there.
After that, I continued my work, searching and exterminating threats in locations that the students can't see or aren't aware of.
I secretly dealt with those who were out of the way of the students, sometimes killing them with Reus' sword, and other times cutting their throats with Emilia's knife. For those that were clearly noticeable by the students, I just took up position on a rooftop and sniped them with [Magnum].
Of course, I killed them as well. Each enemy, a single shot to the head.
—
Right now, I am basically doing the same job that I did in previous life, taking care of people in secret.
It's a strange thing, that I can reincarnate and live a completely different life, but still do the same thing as I did before.
It's not like I enjoyed killing in my previous life. Back then, I separated my feelings from the actual killing; it was just a job. It's different now though; my disciples are involved.
Until they are strong enough to protect themselves, I'll dirty my hands as much as I feel necessary.
“Because I'm doing my best, you guys need to give your best too." (Sirius)
I look at my disciples from afar, watching them lead the advance.
Then, I aim my finger at the next target.
“There now remain… twelve." (Sirius)