How to Survive at th Chapter 117

Chapter 117

Joint Battle Practice 2 (3)

The Romanticist Adel.

Her actions witnessed in

ddleso Elvira boss battle.

The sight of her smiling broadly while watching the duel between Taili and Elvira among the spectators.

Glasclan Subjugation Battle.

Despite being trapped in the faculty district due to the barrier ritual of Velosper, she cheerfully played the lyre.

Alchemy Departnt Academic Conference Explore.

After the event, she was seen sitting atop the statue of the herb gatherer of the Alchemy Departnt building, singing a song.

Glaest Subjugation Battle.

Upon Tailis request, she joined the party to rescue Ayla and began actively employing support magic.

Student Council President Election Battle.

She was seen amongst the crowd, observing the progress of the election.

And then

From Act 3 Scene 5, starting with the second joint battle practice, she begins to be involved with Saint Claris and gains significant importance.

The past, which begins to be revealed by Archbishop Verdio, was darker than expected.

Afterward Romanticist Adel dies by the hand of the Archbishop.

Players learn about this during the wrap-up phase of this joint battle practice event.

After defeating several freshn students who challenge one after another, and even the departnt heads Josef and Wade, Alchemy Departnt head Claude eventually appears.

After subduing Claude, in his frustration, he consus the taboo potion Blood of the Evil God and becos corrupted. The player must directly suppress the dark magic-wielding Claude, now infused with the power of the Evil God phibler.

After quelling the rampaging Claude, players finally exit the dueling arena, and its then that they hear the news of Adels death, concluding the episode.

To lead into the next episode, the current one ends with the shocking revelation of Adels demise. The news shocks players, compelling them to rush to see the next scenario.

From there, it leads straight into the final chapter of Act 3, the Lucy Subjugation Battle.

The story between the Saint of Doubt, Claris, and the Telos Sects attempt to punish her becos the bridge that leads from this joint battle practice event.

Of course, this is the flow as I know it.

Sadly, the worlds flow has already gone astray.

* * *

Although I cant afford to spend much ti, I think it would be nice to converse even if just for a mont. I feel like I would like that.

Claris smiled antiquely. The eyes of a few guards following her and the students beyond them subtly converged toward us.

Claris has always been indifferent to the world, and its the first ti I see her approaching soone to initiate a conversation.

Claris seems to be ready to receive an important guest, perfectly poised and presentable, making

doubt that she and the thoughtless Kaily could be the sa person.

Greetings Your Holiness, the Saint.

I managed my expression as much as possible while naturally receiving Clariss words.

Claris sat neatly and smiled with glittering eyes, then sneakily glanced toward Yenika. Yenika, sitting beside , hiccuped and then bowed her head bashfully.

My My na is Yenika Failover Your Holiness. Its an honor to et you up close.

Her voice is hesitant, understandably so, in the presence of a Saint of the Telos Sect.

The Saint is always revered in the sacred cathedral, and believed to be the most blessed and purest follower of Telos.

Even those living in the countryside couldnt be ignorant of the majesty of the Telos Sect. Nearly a third of the population of the Cloel Empire are its followers.

For a girl like Yenika, its impossible not to be nervous with the idol of such a sect right in front of her.

But Im sure Your Holiness, you were supposed to be greeting the Holy Emperor today.

Yenika couldnt finish her sentence. She must have bitten her tongue, as she started mumbling and shaking her head.

Then she tearfully looked at

for help. I took over Yenikas words and continued.

I heard the Holy Emperor and the Archbishop are visiting soon. Is it alright for you to be here?

As you can see, Ive finished getting ready. Moreover, the Holy Emperor will be visiting Trix Hall, right? The path to Trix Hall passes by this student hall, so it conveniently fit into my route.

She said with a smile.

Looking at Claris, she seed the epito of purity

her hair, skin, and deanor. She was so exceptionally white that the non-white parts stood out even more.

Its fundantally white backdrop made the red irises bloom more intensely. And atop her white hair, a red butterfly hairpin made its presence known.

Her crimson school uniform coat and dark blue skirt couldnt overshadow her radiant whiteness.

Your route coinciding?

I thought that Ed, as a senior, would be here around the ti of the joint battle practice pairings announcent.

Essentially, it ans I ca to see you. The room filled with a wave of astonishnt, though it wasnt evident on the outside, I could clearly feel it.

I composed myself, trying to find the right response that matched the situation.

Its an honor.

Is it really such an honor, Senior Ed?

A compassionate smile with each phrase, probably her habituated way of interacting with her followers in the cathedral.

The anticipation of eting the Holy Emperor must be nerve-wracking.

It is exactly as you say.

I took the opportunity to steer the conversation.

My connection with Saint Claris is limited to last winter when she suddenly showed up at my cabin and I sent her away with a logical reason, ensuring there was no grudge.

Yet, in the midst of this critical period, she sought

out without warning.

First, I had to deduce her reasons.

The Holy Emperor is indeed sharp and wise, but Archbishop Verdio also has the ability to see through others thoughts A person might wonder if hes using so kind of mind-reading skill.

Indeed. He must be quite extraordinary. However, the coachman has been pacing outside for a while now. Surely, you dont have ti to spare here?

Well, about that, Verdios ability to read minds is quite fascinating. Could it be so kind of holy magic?

Maybe. Holy magic is certainly difficult for outsiders to understand in depth. But, now that I think about it, perhaps.

Thats true. An outsider might indeed struggle to grasp the principles of holy magic. Archbishop Verdios ability to perceive all thoughts its quite a mystery, isnt it?

Theres a strange lack of connection in our conversation!

Whether its intentional or not, Saint Claris predominantly steers the conversation towards Archbishop Verdio, aware that there are many ears around.

I took a breath and a sip from the beverage on the wooden table to gather my thoughts.

Apologizing to Claris, I took a deep breath.

And looked directly into Clariss eyes.

Close up, the tension was palpable, her face subtly flushed. Clearly, Claris herself was anxious as well.

Considering her continuous references to Verdios abilities, I begin to suspect her intentions.

I know that Claris is the Saint, and if I were to encounter Verdio, it could reveal to the sect that I am aware of the Saints true identity.

Continuing to hide her real identity is crucial for her to attend school as Claris, a situation that shes naturally not fond of. So, of course, she would want to quickly et

to convey this.

However, she couldnt send soone else.

If you see Ed Rostailer, tell him to avoid Archbishop Verdio at all costs. Passing on such a ssage through a confidant would make it blatantly obvious that I must know sothing about the Saints secrets.

Not a fool, one might surmise that Im privy to her mystery, which would be counterproductive.

Sending a sealed wax letter wouldnt be practical given the ti constraints. Hence, she took advantage of the aligning paths to co and tell

directly.

Indirectly hinting at it through casual conversation, she hoped that Id pick up on her signal.

Now that Ive pieced it all together, the words Claris most wants to hear from

are these:

Given that far-reaching ability Archbishop Verdio must truly be remarkable. Of course, a disgraced one of low status like

wont have the privilege to et them in person.

Is, is that so?

Claris, furrowing her brows with faint hope, appeared to seek confirmation.

I firmly reassured her.

Yes. Ill be too busy with the joint battle practice anyway, and considering my enormous social discrepancy, apart from that, I have a hectic schedule that would hardly permit my attendance at the Holy Emperors event, so its unlikely Ill ever have to et Archbishop Verdio.

Absolutely.

With my assurances, Clariss face began to regain its color.

As if she feels that our wavelengths aligned perfectly, she quickly composed her expression, her lips briefly curving upward in delight.

No matter what, the essential nature of this girl is still the frolicso girl, Kaily Eckne.

Circumstances may have forged her into the holiest maiden in the world, but when joy blooms, her true self surfaces.

Of course, she is adept at restraining her reactions, having lived a life of self-discipline.

Um Your Holiness.

Despite her actions, theres a critical flaw in the Saints approach: the multitude of observing eyes.

To the public, her reasons for showing up so swiftly and precisely may seem awkward.

Theres nothing amiss about Yenikas question then.

So You ca all this way just to see Ed?

Until now, Claris, anxious about the possibility of my involvent in church events leading to a eting with Verdio, has been anxious.

Once I dispelled her greatest worry, she abruptly beca aware of her surroundings.

Ah well thats right?

After addressing the urgent matter, other concerns co to light. These include the very souls around us.

The gazes converged.

Students who had been gathered near the Student Union eagerly awaiting the draw were trying to act indifferent, but their eyes were discreetly drifting towards this direction. The situation was clearly unnatural, so the best response would have been to act as naturally as possible

Getting nervous before eting Lord Seonghwang, and yet dragging a carriage all the way here just to et Ed

No, thats not

Her hasty arrival from afar It looked to everyone else like the actions of soone in a special relationship.

Clarisses flustered behavior was as precious as a thousand pieces of gold, because a saintess like her who always had to display love and dignity could not afford to act disgracefully.

Maybe if she were Kyrie, who had cast off her burdens, she might have shown such weakness, but not Clarisse, who had lived her life as a saintess from a young age. She wouldnt easily show anything other than equanimity.

If she maintained her composure as Saintess Clarisse, not as Kyrie Eknel, she could handle any unorthodox situation without succumbing to disgrace. Once her mind was settled, it was like a fortress of steel was established within her.

However, the weak point was that the other party involved was a man.

In the Patriarchate where the saintess lived, from the entrance to the whole corridor, it was a n-free zone. Even the Patriarch himself did not step foot into that sacred area, and the guards at the entrance would undergo a cleansing bath just by stepping on its threshold.

Unless she was out on official duties, there were virtually no chances for her to have proper encounters with n, especially those of her age.

The only experience she had with male-female relationships was what she saw secretly in second-rate romance novels brought by Adel.

Given how detached she was from relationships between n and won, she would not be adept at handling situations where she was associated with a young man in such a context. Just like young girls who blush even with a simple hand-hold, she was bound to react with flushed cheeks rather than adept quick-wittedness.

No, this is uh?

Sadly, such a reaction only accelerated misunderstandings.

To others, it seed there was no reason why soone like , with no particular connection, would rush to et her at such a busy ti, even summoning a carriage rapidly.

Normally, one could co up with so hastily constructed excuse, but its not that easy, especially when ones face is reddened with embarrassnt.

That so uh?

too Im human and I get nervous too, right? So thats why

It was clear she was about to misspeak. However, as a commoner, no one dared to interrupt the saintess mid-sentence.

That sotis you just end up thinking about soone you want to see wanting to et soone, soone who cos to mind wanting to see their face that sort of

No, I an just because I get nervous? I wanted to see them without a real reason just wanted to et? That kind of person, you know?

It seed she realized the more she talked, the stranger it sounded. She stopped herself and read the atmosphere around her.

Though not voicing it out loud, the observing students were unanimous in their shock.

They had never seen the always dignified Saintess Clarisse blush and dart her eyes around like this. As a result, Clarisse made a worst-case decision to flee.

Suddenly its ti Lord Seonghwang will be arriving soon!!

She covered her face and rushed into the carriage.

Already anxious about ti, the coachman quickly cracked the whip, spurring the luxurious carriage forward.

After the saintess fled like lightning, silence hung heavily in the air.

The bullet-like gazes of astonishnt, and sitting right at the center of it all, was I, burying my face in my hands in exasperation.

* * *

The joint combat training utilized two of the three buildings in the Student Union complex.

The 1st- and 2nd-year sparring took place in Nail Hall, and the 3rd- and 4th-year sparring happened in Gluckt Hall, so the two groups did not mix.

Of course, the buildings were adjacent. It would be easy to go there, but unless youre a fool who gets lost, there is no reason to switch buildings. My plan was to finish my own sparring and then check out what was happening in the adjacent building.

Phew

I managed to leave the startling developnts involving the saintess behind and slipped away from the scene.

First, I had to part ways with Yenica. Our arenas were different within Gluckt Hall.

Yenicas sparring was set in Arena 7, deep inside, while mine was in Arena 3.

??? ??????

Yenica still seed unable to grasp the saintess words and reactions, hitting question marks into thin air with a frozen face. I could only hope it wouldnt affect her combat. She was likely to easily suppress most students anyway.

Phew

Pushing through the students lingering outside, I felt rewarded as I entered the building.

If they werent imdiately scheduled for a bout, the majority waited on the terrace. Things were sowhat quieter once inside the buildings corridor.

Yenica is terribly bad with directions. Just to be sure she could find her way to her arena properly, I waited until I saw her enter and then I made my way to Arena 3.

As I walked, I skimd the draw. My randomly assigned opponent turned out to be Kordack from the battle departnt

a seasoned 4th-year warrior known to wield axes and clubs like a savage in combat.

Hmm If it cos down to close combat, Im at a disadvantage.

While only a few students passed by occasionally, the corridor leading to the sparse arena resounded with the echo of my footsteps on the marble floor. As I walked rhythmically along, I noticed a student in a flowing skirt seated at a corner turning into the arena.

It was sowhat embarrassing, admittedly.

Adel seated on the floor, plucking a lute.

She was notoriously unpredictable in where she might appear next, always showing up in the most unexpected places. Though I expected this, being directly confronted with it was still unsettling.

What are you doing here? This is Gluckt Hall. As a 2nd-year, you should be in Nail Hall.

Oh, we et again, Senior Ed.

With a brilliant smile, scattering petals from her hair, Adel strumd the strings a few more tis.

Its amazing how fate works. They say you end up eting by just following the wind, so it seems like we are closely connected.

Adel smiled wryly back at , I shook my head in disbelief. There was a limit to being carefree.

Arent you participating in the joint combat training?

How could I not? Its almost ti for my match to start. Im scheduled a bit later.

Smiling brightly, she stood up, dusting off her clothes then gave

a slight smile.

Perfect timing. Its just about ti for

to head out~

With that easygoing remark, Adel passed by

and headed towards the exit.

As Adel walked past, I simply stood still.

As our paths crossed, a tumult of thoughts that had been accumulating unleashed a flood in my mind.

Thats right.

After this joint combat training ended, Adel Seris would et her death at the hands of Archbishop Verdio.

I knew that fact.

The problem was that I did not understand the precise details of her demise.

My knowledge gained from playing The Failings of the Sword Saint of Silvernia was entirely from the perspective of the Sword Saint Taily.

That very Sword Saint boy, likely on the receiving end of younger students challenges in Nail Hall right now in Act 3s midpoint, who has grown strong enough to be ranked among the powerhouses of the second year, known as the shining stars.

From Tailys point of view I had no way of knowing the exact circumstances of Adels death.

Because the joint combat practice and Patriarchs visit to Silvernia happened simultaneously, and Adels murder unfolds amid it.

The only information I could glean from the protagonists perspective was that it was all due to Archbishop Verdios machinations. He did not leave Adel, who had run away with the Orders secrets, in peace but punished her with death. That was the result.

It was the catalyst that triggered Saintess Clarisse to begin investigating the corruption committed by the high-ranking clergy of the Telos Order.

Clarisse, the Saintess of Distrust.

The vision of the bloody saintess gazing up at the stars setting among the burning trees of the Righteous Mountain felt vividly vivid, like it was being thrust in front of .

The situation snapped back to the present.

Adel, making sounds with her strides, was heading towards the exit along the corridor. Maybe this was the last living image of Adel.

Knowing of her impending death, was it right to just let it happen?

The first thing that ca to mind was the moral law. Is it right to let soone walk toward certain demise without intervention?

In the past, I would have weighed her life against the course of events, but having traveled through Act 1 and 2, the flow of history has twisted so much its now uncontrollable. If Ive already gone so far as to install Tanya as the student council president, then perhaps sticking to the original course of history holds less aning.

If thats the case, all thats left is the question of morality.

But, not knowing the complete truth about her death What could I possibly say to persuade her? If I warned her, Youre going to die, so just stay here, would she even cooperate?

To spread a false alarm, implying without any evidence that the sacred clergy ant to kill an innocent girl would anyone believe it?

Id likely just garner contempt as a conspiracy theorist and erode any trust in

even more.

I suddenly rembered an old professor who had died under the bright moon, atop the ancient tree.

Of course, Professor Glasts death is entirely different. At that ti, my abilities were insufficient, and even if I had tried to intervene, I wasnt dealing with soone who would listen.

But what about Adel? If my actions could potentially save her from death was it my duty as a human to exert every effort to rescue her? If so, then I should move imdiately.

Just when I was about to plunge into deep contemplation

Hey.

Without a monts pause, I blurted out my thoughts. Maintaining my gaze, I simply let my voice carry.

Ed, Senior?

Youre going to die soon.

Without hesitation, I threw in the conclusion right away.

The response could go any number of ways. Maybe disbelief at my abruptness, or mild laughter at the perceived joke. Whatever cos back, Ill find a logical explanation in return.

I know.

With a smile across her face, Adel simply replied and walked out the door.

And with that a long silence lingered in the empty corridor of Gluckt Hall.