Sword, Magic and Academic Society

"Kukuku. Fugyahahahaha!"

Crap. I really overdid it this time......

The result of my super-special-concentrated-paralyzing drug was truly terrific, just as I had expected. I only released half of the phial's content in the air, but... there were no more enemies in sight.

For the time being, I couldn't resist the urge to tap my forehead, look to the heavens, and break into laughter after gazing at the hellish scene before my eyes. The faces of my classmates, who had just entered the northern base, twitched at my behavior as if they couldn't bear the cringe.

Dan asked with an exasperated tone.

"This is... quite a scene. But wasn't our plan something else? Also, what the hell is with that strange laugh? You’ve been doing that since this morning."

"Good question. What you're seeing is a desolate person who had been tossed aside like a ragged cloth, who caved into the darkness, and later became a tool of the demons.

There has been a slight mishap in our plan. Anyway, the supplies were hidden some distance from the main headquarters, right? Also, pass the antidote to the soldiers. If they stay like that, we won’t even be able to move them out of the battlefield."

After giving out my instructions, I laid down on the spot like that sloven middle-aged uncle who just had dinner, the personification of laziness.

".........Sheesh, you still believe in demons or whatnot? Passing the antidote to them is the least we can do, but... why the hell are you rolling around on the ground?"

"It had taken almost all of my mana to deal with the situation, now I don't even have the energy to stay on my feet."

"......I’m no longer surprised at your slovenly appearance."

◆◆◆

Tim-san walked up to me, while my classmates were running around the base applying the antidote.

"I can't believe it... You really did take them down in an instant… The rumors were true— No, you're more incredible than the rumors make you out to be, Allen Rovenne-kun. It's like you had somehow contained the poisonous air in this area. I’m curious how you accomplished that, but you're probably at a high level in terms of concealment and covert operations. Maybe I’ll save the actual truth for another day."

...I'm sorry, spreading the poison in an airtight space was exactly what I did.

Not noticing my inwardly twitching expression, Tim-san patted my shoulder and shouted his command, “We’ve been annihilated. The antidote doesn’t seem to be enough, so use your mana and try to deal with it yourselves! Once you can move, hurry up and leave the battlefield!”

Anyway, as Tim-san shouted, we stumbled upon a slight problem.

The antidote couldn't completely remove the lingering paralysis. So they had the army's mages and surgeons help out, starting with the people that exhibited stronger symptoms of paralysis. But there had been too many of such people in contrast to the few helpers.

Now what was the troublesome part here, right? Well, the ‘dead’ were supposed to be shifted to the dead zone which was 5 km away from here, near the true border post. But with this many suffering from paralysis, it was certainly not going to be safe for them to traverse the mountain road where monsters could attack at any time. Tim-san might be strong, but it should be impossible for him to keep an eye on all soldiers.

"Say, you think you can use area healing magic, Jeu?"

A surprised expression appeared on Jeu's face at my question as if she hadn't expected someone to ask her that. She chuckled and answered.

"......I’ve earned the qualification to read the journals of 'Saintess' Sari-sama, the prized yet also secret documents of the Levarance family. There had been mention of one such holy magic that Sari-sama herself developed and often used which was dubbed as 'God's Miracle' by the general populace. But… how do you know about it, Allen-san?

Oh, I can't use it, by the way. Well, to be more precise, no human besides Sari-sama had been able to master it. I’m thinking of dabbling in it one day though."

Oh? So area healing magic isn't an ordinary thing here, huh?

From what I’ve seen, holy magic worked on a different principle than emission magic, and since I didn't have the holy attribute, I barely had any information about it.

I chanced upon this information when I was new to the Royal Capital and frequently visited the royal library to gather material for my emission magic research when I stumbled upon the record of her ancestor, Saintess Sari. It wasn't mentioned clearly, but as someone who came from a place where such settings were all-too familiar in games or light novels, it sounded like 'area healing magic’ to me. Well, not that I could explain it to her that way.

"......It's just common sense. But I’m sure you can learn it, Jeu. You know what, I think you can do it now. Why don't you give it a try?"

I nonchalantly said out loud my wish to see that magic.

Someone had to do something about the current situation, but I was in no condition to think due to my dried up mana reserve.

"Huh!? Even with me being in top condition, I never felt I could achieve that, so there's no way I can do it when I’m so tired… It's because I’m tired that I can do it, is that what you're saying?"

I nodded assertively.

"Of course. It's because of our current situation that I’m sure you can pull it off."

Kukuku. Frankly, it surprised me how highly they think of me.

I had no basis that it would work, but maybe my strong assertion would give them some kind of boost to try it out, that maybe they might be able to do it. So it was better to let them think like that for now.

Because even the slightest negative thought like 'I can't' in the corner of their mind could greatly hamper them from bringing out their full power. Even if they were capable of doing it originally.

You must have confidence, a sort of conviction, in yourself if you want to surpass an unimaginable height— I recall hearing this quote from an athlete in my previous world.

Well, it would be amazing if she managed to pull it off, but this wasn't some fantasy world where it would be that easy. Either way, even if she failed, I would merely be called a liar. They might come to realize that I wasn't that amazing of a person as they made me out to be.

Jeu held her beloved staff in her hand and stood in front of the paralyzed soldiers.

"It's because I'm so tired that I can do it..."

She closed her eyes and silently murmured to herself to fix her mindset. Then she sharply opened them and glanced at me… breaking into a silent chuckle.

When I saw that smile, faintly tinted with elegance, and her blonde hair that asserted their presence more than ever as the moonlight reflected on it— I immediately had an unpleasant hunch. I probably dug another hole for myself.

"Cough, maybe it’s too early—"

I immediately raised my voice in an attempt to stop her...... but I was a step too late.

Jeu had already started chanting the extremely long ancient words, something she used when activating holy magic. It sounded like a song to my ears, as if she was truly conversing with the goddess.

In accordance with her aria, the staff in Jeu's hand radiated a golden brilliance similar to her hair, and soon that radiance fell upon the soldiers in front of her.

Everyone became silent as they witnessed that sublime sight.

"Saintess..."

One of the soldiers murmured out of reverence.

◆◆◆

"Don't make noise! Remember, we're dead now! I forbid all of you from speaking any words until we’ve reached the dead zone!

In the name of Tim Buchan, I also command you all to keep what happened here a secret! It's just a matter of time before we're given a gag-order officially, so be careful of what you say! Good grief, why are so many strange things happening around me!? It's all too much for me to handle!"

Grumbling in annoyance, Tim-san left for the dead zone.

Jeu had a face full of smiles as she saw that and rushed to hug me.

"I-I did it! Thank youuuu, Allen-san! I always thought it required a lot more mana, that's why I failed... but now I get it. I also finally understand why Sari-sama used to say you can't be a great user of holy magic without knowing what love is!"

Oh, you get it? Good, because I didn't get any of the nonsense you were saying at all.......

I tried to push Jeu away and get out of her hold, but I could barely muster any strength in my current state.

"Well, what's the meaning of this, Allen? I do believe I deserve an explanation here. And I hope you know what it means to Jeu to use the legendary magic that only Saintess Sari was capable of."

Fey approached me with her usual grinning expression and squatted next to me, demanding an explanation. An explanation, huh? Good question.

"Um... I just thought she needed a push to have more confidence in herself, so I tried to ad-lib some pep talk for her. But since she was able to use it, it just means she always had the aptitude for it...... Believe me!"

I truthfully confessed, but the others looked at me as if I was still hiding the truth.

"......By the way, do you know about the 'lost treasure tool' of the Dragoon family, Allen?"

Fey suddenly followed up with a different topic while grinning. I immediately denied it.

"Not at all. Neither do I have any interest in it."

I heard that many valuable magical tools in the possession of the Dragoon family had lost some of their functions, but I knew admitting it would put me in another mess, so I shook my head with all my might.

For real, what did she think of me, a diviner?

"Anyway, we should get back to work before that old geezer returns. I doubt Leo would be able to handle him for too long."

I forcibly changed the topic.

Our enemies were now left with two companies, and at least half of them were a mere disorderly crowd that had no commander to lead them.

We're 19 people here, excluding Leo.

Now we just need to deal with the old geezer somehow, then the victory would basically be ours.

◆◆◆

I was trying to recover as much mana as I could via mana compression in the base when Godorfun walked up to us all alone.

We might have settled everything sooner if he arrived with the troops with him, but otherwise the situation was unfolding as we expected. Either way, everything depended on us eliminating him.

"Just the two of you, huh?...... I presume the others must be mounting an attack on the southern base. Let me guess, you must have had Daniel Serdos survey the situation as everyone's eyes and sketched out your plan from here. You must have quite the confidence if you have Daniel Serdos as your scout, given his combat prowess."

Well, in this base defense battle, it was safe to say that everything hinged on the coordination of the four bases and the timing of the traps. We hadn't attacked the southern base until now to make it difficult for Godorfun, and force him to make a decision.

"Hmph. Dan is one of the cards that Bester had prepared, and I dare say he had grasped the situation better than anyone else. Let's end this quickly."

I said while nonchalantly putting my hand on the phial with a red lid that I had carefully sealed after its previous usage.

But, that geezer actually spouted some nonsense.

"It's a complete failure."

Yeah, yeah. Now stop whining and come at me. I’m ready!