Chapter IV: Inglis, Age 15—The Chiral Knights’ Academy (4)
“Whaaaat?! Inglis, you saw my brother?!”
After returning to the girls’ dormitory at the academy, Inglis filled Leone in about having encountered Leon. Inglis and Rafinha both decided that they should be honest with Leone about it rather than avoid the subject. If nothing else, maybe knowing he’d been nearby would give her the drive she needed to get back on her feet. Whether that would end up being a good thing depended on her friends, the people closest to her.
“Wh-Where?! Tell me! I have to go find him!”
“Wait, Leone. I can tell you where he was, but he’s already left,” Inglis said.
“But if I hurry up, I might be able to find him! I can’t just sit here!”
“First of all, calm down, Leone!” Rafinha insisted. “There’s a lot we have to talk about before we go anywhere. Rin, can you help us out?”
Rin leaped from Rafinha’s shoulder toward Leone. Because the small creature found a certain something lacking in Rafinha, she tended to perch on the girl’s shoulders or head instead.
Rin nestled in Leone’s cleavage. “Eeek?!” Leone squealed. “Ah! Ahhh! Not there! Knock it off, Rin!”
That was enough to distract her. Inglis didn’t necessarily appreciate Rin’s burrowing when she was on the receiving end, but it sure was useful now.
“No, like this is fine. Now will you listen to us?” Inglis asked.
“What about this is fine?! Make her stop!”
Leone was at least listening, though, so Inglis began to explain the situation: She hadn’t just encountered Leon, but she’d also fought a murderer. Fars from the Rambach Company had a work assignment for them. Plus, the Steelbloods were rumored to be targeting the next offerings to Highland. If Leon, who had turned traitor and joined them, was in the capital, that lent weight to those suspicions. His presence made sense if he was preparing for whatever sabotage was planned, and he would likely appear at the drop-off location.
“So if we take the Rambach Company up on their offer...”
“Exactly, Leone. We can all go together. You can catch your brother if he shows up.”
She agreed with Inglis. “Well, from how you’ve described it, that does seem possible.”
“We’re about to ask for permission from the principal. Will you come with us?”
“Okay. Thanks, both of you. I think this will get me back on my brother’s trail!”
With that decided, the trio visited Principal Miriela and explained the situation.
“So that’s what happened. I see. Great job taking down the killer! I can’t help being impressed!” Miriela paused and bowed her head. “But I do regret letting my students end up in such a dangerous predicament. My sincerest apologies.”
“Don’t worry. It was a fun fight. I should be thanking you.”
“Ha ha ha, Chris, you’re incorrigible,” Rafinha said. “Principal, sooner or later, when we graduate, we’ll be the hunters and not the prey. We can handle it.”
“Well, that’s a relief to hear.”
Inglis turned back to the matter at hand. “Anyway, may we take the offer from Mr. Fars and the Rambach Company?”
“Please, Principal Miriela, can we?” Rafinha asked as well.
“I beg of you... I want to deal with Leon with my own hands...” Leone pleaded.
“Wait, wait! This is a different matter. The killer... Well, I can’t deny you fought whoever it is, but I can’t allow this.”
“What?!” Rafinha yelled in surprise. “So you won’t let us take the job?”
“I can’t believe it! But the Steelbloods will probably be there!” Leone protested in defiance.
“Well, I’m not completely forbidding your assistance,” Miriela explained. “The knights have asked us to lend our support in guarding the offering. Most of the regular Flygear forces are still busy airlifting the Prismer from Ahlemin, and most of your upperclassmen are along with them. Perhaps you could help patrol the area. Would that be sufficient?”
“So we’d just be watching from a distance?” Rafinha asked.
“To be honest, that sounds likely unless anything happens, but...” Inglis muttered.
“Then we wouldn’t be able to get involved quickly if anything happens! We need to be nearby!” Leone argued.
Inglis agreed. “I’d be more likely to find a strong foe if we’re in the thick of battle.”
“Wellllll...” Miriela hesitated. “It’s not unheard of for students to take on a few extracurriculars...but it will be dangerous, so I’d like to give you a test before I sign off on your participation.”
“Will there be any fights?”
“Yes, there will be fights.”
“Thank you for the opportunity! I’d love to!”
“Ah ha ha, Inglis. You look so prim and proper, but you’re ridiculously hungry for fights,” Miriela said, unable to hide her amusement.
“Yes, I love combat. It really gets my blood pumping.”
Thus, the three decided to take the test for permission for extracurricular activities.
◆◇◆
The test was scheduled to occur after class, two days later.
Once the knights’ and squires’ separate lessons concluded for the day, Inglis and the others waited for Principal Miriela in the stone ring. Several other students had gathered to watch after having heard the rumors, and the squire cadet Lahti was among them.
“Oh, hey, Lahti.”
“Y-Yo, Inglis. How are you feeling? Ready for the test?”
“I am. Did you already finish your extra Flygear training?
“Yeah. I thought it’d be fun to come watch.”
“Well, I don’t know what’s going to happen, so I don’t know if it’ll be fun, exactly.”
“Nah, I think it’s already pretty fun.”
“Really?”
Above Inglis’s head, Rafinha had fired off an incredible burst of Shiny Flow with her Artifact for Inglis to dodge the rain of light as a warm-up, all while Inglis chatted with Lahti, who marveled at the sight.
“Ha ha ha... When people move really fast, it almost looks like they’re splitting into two.”
“Does it?”
“Yeah. I see five or six of you right now. Not complaining, the world would be a better place if it had more beautiful girls like you—” He winced suddenly. “Ow! What was that for, Pullum?!”
The trainee knight Pullum was standing behind Lahti, having practically appeared out of nowhere. She was none too happy. “What nonsense is this? You already have me, Lahti, but you’ve never once called me beautiful.”
“Ugh, quit complaining! What does it even matter?”
Inglis turned to Pullum. “Fear not. I’ve heard Lahti worry about you during our classes together.”
“Ugh, Inglis, you don’t need to tell her that!”
“Wow! Really, Lahti? Really, really?” Pullum exclaimed.
Inglis found the whole sight rather charming. She wanted to leave them be.
She turned to Rafinha. “Rani, give me more.”
“Sure. There, there, there! Here they come, Chris!”
The rain of light intensified, to the cheers of the onlooking cadets.
“Wow, that’s amazing!”
“And she’s still dodging them all!”
“It doesn’t even look like there’s anywhere for her to stand! What’s her secret?!”
Principal Miriela arrived in the midst of the clamor.
“Sorry to keep you waiting— Whoa! What’s going on?! If you’re wearing yourselves out with this, you won’t have anything left for the test!”
“Don’t worry. We’re warming up.”
“R-Really?” Miriela paused, skeptical. “Anyway, let’s start the test. Inglis, Rafinha, Leone, are you ready?”
Inglis and friends, lined up before Miriela, answered in unison. “Yes!”
“The test is simple. I’ll be sending you somewhere, and if you make it back before the time limit, that means you pass.”
“Somewhere?” Inglis asked.
“To another dimension created by my Artifact.”
“Huh, there are Artifacts that can do that?”
“Mine’s a rare one. We call its dimension ‘the Labyrinth of Ordeals.’ This will test not only your strength but also your spirit. Depending on what happens in there, you may have a hard time. Are you okay with that?” Miriela’s expression, usually relaxed and casual, became strict.
But no one was deterred. The three again answered in affirmation.
“Very well. Then—”
“Wait just a moment!” A voice sounded from another direction.
The group looked to see Liselotte, a cadet knight and the daughter of the Chancellor Arcia. Flanking her were the red- and blue-haired twins; the red-haired one was Ban, and the blue-haired one was Ray.
“What is it, Liselotte?” the principal inquired.
“Permission for extracurricular activities is the mark of an elite student! To be the first in one’s class to achieve it is an honor! Yet, so unfairly, you offer only these three the opportunity to be tested. I would also like to be included!”
Inglis didn’t find fault in that. It was better if everyone had an equal opportunity.
Principal Miriela seemed to agree as well and nodded in agreement. “That’s right, Liselotte. You can participate too. Would anyone else like a shot? I will remind you to keep in mind that it’s quite dangerous and not appropriate for everyone.”
Several students stepped forth to answer Principal Miriela’s call, among them Pullum.
“Don’t, Pullum! You’re too clumsy, you’ll just get hurt if you go in alone!” Lahti protested.
“No! I’m going to do it!” Pullum yelled.
“Principal, won’t you stop her?”
Miriela hesitantly said, “She meets the criteria. I’ll allow her to participate.”
“Whaaaat?! Then I will too! I’m gonna—”
“Hmm...” The principal didn’t seem confident in him. “Sorry.”
“Figured it’d be that way.” Lahti sighed.
“Pullum, will you be okay?” Inglis asked, concerned.
“I’ll be fine! I won’t let you beat me!”
Inglis didn’t know what to make of that. For some reason, Pullum seemed to be really mad at her. Just what did Lahti say to her before? If he had chosen the right words, she probably wouldn’t be doing something so risky. Nonetheless, Inglis had no right to stop her, so she wasn’t particularly concerned.
“With that taken care of, let’s begin. Everyone, over here.” The principal stood before them, and when she tapped her Artifact staff against the ground, countless doors appeared around them. The onlooking students gasped.
“Amazing...” The flows of mana were incredibly complex, beyond Inglis’s current understanding. That staff has too many powers. Is it really an Artifact—or just something that resembles one? Someday I’d like to find out.
“Now, each of you choose a door. Beyond it, a trial appropriate to each of you awaits.”
Inglis stood before the door closest to her. “Rani, Leone—you two be careful.”
“Mm-hmm! Let’s do our best!”
“Yes. We’ll show her we can make it through this!”
Inglis and her friends each opened their own door and entered. As Inglis stepped inside, the door closed behind her and disappeared, leaving Inglis alone in a dim twilight.
“Where am I?”
Inglis supposed this was the Labyrinth of Ordeals. She wondered what she could possibly be tasked to fight. An enthusiastic spring in her step, she stepped forward. The light was too dim for her to take in much of her surroundings, but somewhere before her, a white light cut through the darkness. Do I just need to reach that?
After a short walk, a figure appeared before her—the Rune-Eater she had defeated only a few days earlier.
“Oooh, now this will be fun.” It seemed like the dimension was recreating her old enemies from her memories. Taking on worthwhile foes again would be wonderful. But as she tensed for combat, the Rune-Eater’s form dissolved again into nothingness.
“Huh?”
With nothing else to do, she walked on. Next to appear was the black-masked leader of the Steelbloods. Inglis again prepared for battle—only for him, too, to fade away.
This was puzzling, indeed.
As she walked on, she saw many other figures: the Steelbloods’ hieral menace, Sistia; Cyrene as a magicite beast; Rahl, also as a magicite beast; Leon, the former holy knight; this country’s hieral menace, Eris. Yet each disappeared before she could fight them.
“Ah, Rani!”
Then there was Rafinha, appearing as a little girl. She was cute now, of course, but her innocence as a child made her all the more adorable. Inglis squinted at her. There was a young Rafael too, and her father and her mother. Seeing her parents was nostalgic. It felt good to see their faces after so long. Yet she was only being shown memories; there were no foes here. She was going back through time, already reaching the infancy of her new life, and the emptiness stretched on. If it kept going...
She stared at some adults, but they were frowning like children who had lost their parents.
“This is—!”
This sight belonged to the old King Inglis; it was the rows of retainers who waited at the king’s deathbed. “This memory is from my past life...”
She missed them even now, but still—she had questions. “What did you build of Silvare after I was gone? I don’t recall asking you to build a world where some people looked down on others from the heavens.”
Living in a dangerous era was certainly convenient for mastering the blade, but this wasn’t what she had wanted for the good of others. She couldn’t say this world was better than how she’d left it. How had it turned out like this?
However, these people were mere phantoms constructed from her memories. They couldn’t answer even if asked.
A retainer cackled. “Heh heh heh. Your reign has come to an end.”
“Precisely. Let dead kings lie. The world no longer needs you.”
“We shall lay you to rest again.” The dozens of retainers suddenly drew their weapons and surrounded Inglis.
She smiled as she prepared to fight. “Interesting... But weren’t you just as busy with paperwork as I was? I’ll show you a thing or two! Come!”
Inglis beckoned, and the retainers attacked from all sides. “Haaah!”
She leaped high into the air, making a flashy somersault backwards before kicking the rear of an assailant who had come at her from behind.
“Gah?!”
“Whoa!”
The retainer crashed into the one to the left—and at the same time, Inglis swiftly slipped in front of him. “Have another taste!” She struck him with a spinning waist-high kick. The pair she struck smashed into two others, and all four went sprawling.
“Aaaah!” a retainer gasped.
Inglis suddenly appeared before him, raising her voice in a gruff manner. “This is—” Her palm strike punched through his abdomen.
“So fast!” a retainer cried.
She moved to another opponent. “—no time for—” She struck with her elbow.
“I can’t see!”
“—idle chatter!” She rammed her body against another foe with all the power of an explosive. The retainer smashed into the walls of the dimension before twisting and fading away.
“I knew you guys would be out of shape,” she scoffed.
It hadn’t even taken a minute for Inglis to wipe out the retainers from her past life. That was good, but something was amiss.
“Oh drat, now I’m talking like I used to.” Inglis strode onward, but her mind was busy reflecting.
That didn’t halt the Labyrinth of Ordeals. Before her, a red-haired young man stood. He seemed to be a bit over thirty, but with a statuesque, youthful appearance.
“It’s been so long, Your Majesty.” He bowed respectfully and kneeled before Inglis.
“Randall...”
He was King Inglis’s chosen successor, expected to eventually rule the Silvare Kingdom. He was a genius with both the pen and the sword, yet he did not let his talents go to his head. He always put the needs of others first. Having witnessed his strength and spirit, Inglis would have been unsurprised if Randall, instead, had been chosen to be a divine knight.
The old king had found Randall in an impoverished village and raised him since then. The boy had been akin to a son or younger brother for the king, who never had a partner. With no children, King Inglis had chosen instead to raise an adopted child as a successor. Randall had been deemed worthy to be such a person.
Inglis faced him and asked, “Why did the world end up like this? No, you can’t answer any of my questions, can you?”
This dimension seemed to just replay her memories. It couldn’t show her anything she didn’t already know.
“Indeed, your Highness.” Randall drew his sword.
“Then attack me!”
“Ha ha! I shall!”
Randall’s footwork was far faster than that of the retainers. It was on a completely different level. A downward slash from the shoulder, morphing into a spinning sweep, then a quick turn—Inglis saw it all coming anyway and dodged with the elegant footwork of a dancer.
“Haaaah!”
She slipped each forceful attack by a hair’s breadth until—
There was a sudden pause.
She had caught the final thrust between her fingers.
“Arghhh!”
“This place isn’t enough.” Even though it had borrowed Randall’s form, she needed it to be stronger. This dimension could produce foes only so strong; it couldn’t completely replicate people and their talents. However, the thought of having left her country to a man of this limited caliber still displeased her. “I didn’t pick someone good enough,” Inglis murmured to herself as she kicked Randall and sent him flying, after which he disappeared. “If I keep going like this, this will just keep—”
What if I see the goddess Alistia?
Inglis had viewed the goddess with something approaching love. That deep infatuation caused the old king to never take up a partner. Inglis still cared about her and definitely didn’t want to harm her here—but Goddess Alistia would likely appear. That was what kind of dimension this was; it assaulted intruders through their own weaknesses, their regrets, their doubts. The need to overcome those must be why Miriela had said it would test both her strength and her spirit.
“But that doesn’t mean I have to take them on directly.”
Inglis looked upward and thrust out her palm. In it, aether gathered into a gigantic sphere of pale blue light. An Artifact created this dimension, but what if an overwhelmingly destructive Artifact struck it? Time to find out!
“Aether Strike!”
Crassshhhhhh!
With a sound like the breaking of glass, Inglis’s Aether Strike tore through the dimension’s walls, piercing upward through several ceilings, suggesting that there was more to the space above.
“If there’s something up there, it would be best if I found out now what it is.” As Inglis was about to leap upward—
“What in the world was that?!” The face of the knight cadet Liselotte appeared in the hole in the ceiling.
“I see. So it’s connected to the others’ places,” Inglis muttered to herself as she jumped to where Liselotte had poked her head through.
“I-Is this your doing?!” Liselotte asked.
“Indeed. I didn’t feel like advancing through it directly anymore.”
“Destroying this mysterious dimension— You can do that? Just...wh-what in the world are you?”
“I’m simply a squire. Rafinha Bilford’s.”
“I know that much, Inglis. You stand out no matter what you’re wearing.”
“Really?”
“Indeed. But if you are Rafinha’s squire, could you kindly tell her that she shouldn’t hate her classmates so much? I hadn’t intended for her to be an enemy.”
“I will...but she was only mad at you for what happened with Leone.”
“I don’t believe I had much choice. If you consider her situation rather than the girl herself, it makes little sense to trust her. It’s natural to keep one’s distance from the Olfas. I am the daughter of a chancellor. I mustn’t be too trusting.”
“I’ll mention it to Rani... But more importantly, how are you doing? Were you thinking you’d be able to get out fine?”
“It hasn’t gone very well. I keep seeing unfortunate memories, and I’m thoroughly tired of it.” Liselotte sighed.
“Me too. That’s why I decided to force an exit. Shall we go on together?” Inglis pointed to the layers above.
“Sounds interesting. It seems as though we can break out of the design of this distasteful test.”
“Yeah, looks that way.”
“Then, I shall join alongside you! We’re proceeding upward, correct?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.” Inglis crouched to leap even higher.
“Wait. That won’t be necessary.” Bright white wings sprouted from Liselotte’s back. Inglis surmised they were the Gift from the Artifact halberd she carried. “Take my hand. I’ll carry you up.”
“Thanks.” Inglis accepted her offer and felt herself lift into the air. They flew upward through layer after layer. As they approached the next, they heard a voice.
“Stop! What are you doing to my brother?!”
It was the voice of a young girl.
“Out of my way! You’re wrong! You don’t need to cover him!”
Inglis knew this voice—it was Leone. What was going on?
“Leone...?!”
Leone, cut all over, breathed heavily as she grasped her dark greatsword.
And facing her was...perhaps a younger Leone? Their faces looked similar. The younger Leone had an intense expression, and her arms were outstretched as she tried to block Leone from something. Behind her was a boy that Inglis recognized as a younger Leon.
The young Leone cried and pleaded. “Stop! My brother’s a holy knight now! He’s our hope! So why are you being so mean to him?!”
“It’s just a facade! It doesn’t mean anything! Someday you’ll understand!” Leone swung her sword at her younger self. Knowing that it wasn’t actually real—that it was a shadow conjured by this dimension—didn’t make fighting a younger version of one’s self less painful.
Two other people were yelling.
“Damn you! And on the day my son is knighted as a holy knight!”
“Everyone! Leon! Protect Leon!”
The pair must have been Leon and Leone’s parents.
“Father! Mother...!” Leone bit her lip, holding in her anguish.
A group of knights encircled her. “Protect Leon!”
“You damned bandit! Are you trying to take this glory away from Ahlemin?!”
“I won’t let you, even if it costs me my life!”
This dimension was turning all of Leone’s proud memories of her brother Leon into foes. Leone’s wounds, and the depletion of her mana, were proof of the fierce battle she’d already gone through.
“It doesn’t matter what you say! I’ll defeat you! And I’ll defeat Leon!” Leone screamed.
Inglis thought Leone was saying this out loud for her own sake more than for anyone else to hear. Leone’s heart was screaming to her, insisting that she reject her pride and all her happy memories. What was left was sorrow and pain. This dimension, where people with scarred hearts had to bare fangs at even more hateful foes, certainly was distasteful. Inglis didn’t care for it.
“If even these memories become foes, she must really have turned against her traitor brother...” Liselotte muttered, a thoughtful expression on her face, as she seemed to realize something.
“I’m going to help Leone. You can go on ahead,” Inglis said as she let go of Liselotte’s hand and jumped to action.
“Get her!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Haaah!”
At the same time, the knights fell upon Leone.
“I’ll cut you all down together!” Leone put her full force into a swing of her Artifact greatsword, intending to extend the sword and sweep through a wide area at once. Inglis was familiar with how Leone used that fighting style against multiple foes. Yet the Artifact only shone for a moment, and it did not transform.
“Ugh...! Did I run out of power? Not now! I still have to fight!”
She had exhausted herself in the battle so far. She didn’t have the mana required to transform the Artifact.
While she lacked the strength she had earlier, the knights went on the attack. Leone received sword strikes from two knights on either side, and she blocked them with her own greatsword, holding it up in the air as if she were about to plunge it into the ground. The strength given to her by an upper-class Artifact was enough to hold it but not much more.
“More! Push her down as a group!”
“Grrraaah!” the knights yelled as about five more of them pressed in on her with their swords.
“Ngh...” Leone, already at the limits of her mana, couldn’t push them back.
“Her back’s wide open!” One knight circled behind her.
“So what?!” Leone kicked forcefully at the blade of the knight who danced around behind her, repelling the foe. Her rear was safe, but now the problem was the front. Pushed backward by the knights, she took two or three stumbling steps backwards.
“Ugh...” she grunted, her stance completely broken. At this rate, she’d be overrun.
A shadow darted in from the side at high speed.
“Haaah! I will protect Leon with my life!” Leone’s father rushed at her with a short spear and thrust it forward with more speed and force than that of the other knights.
“Father...!” In the instant she realized she couldn’t avoid his strike, the tears Leone had been holding back suddenly welled up in her eyes. Through her hazy vision, she could only barely see something coming toward her.
She caught sight of brilliant platinum-blonde hair, glowing as if it had the shine of the moon woven into it.
“Sorry to intrude.” Inglis’s palm plunged into Leone’s father’s cheek.
“Gahhh?!”
His face distorted as he flew into the walls of the dimension. He disappeared, leaving only echoes of his scream.
Next, Inglis flitted to the sides of the knights pushing Leone down and delivered a first, then a second, flash-like kick.
“Aaaarrrgh!” they screamed. The knights pushing Leone down were also destroyed.
“There’s still more!” She continued, diving into the other knights with palm and elbow strikes as they let out cries.
“Wh-Who...?! Ugh!”
“I can’t see where—”
“Have the heavens abandoned us?!”
The remaining enemies were blown away and disintegrated before they could even react.
Inglis had one thing left to say to the fading shadows of those knights. “That’s what you get for ganging up on a girl.”
“I-Inglis...?!” Leone exclaimed.
“Yeah, I’m here. I just happened to be passing by. Glad I made it in time.”
“H-How did you get here?”
“I broke the connected walls of the dimension, until I reached here.”
“Ha ha ha... You’re absurd. That’s absolutely ignoring the point of the test.”
“It’s fine. The principal never said we couldn’t. Anyway, are you okay?” Inglis wiped Leone’s tears away and patted her head.
“Oh... Yeah. I’m fine. Thank you.”
“I see. That’s good.”
The last two shadows remained in the way. “I won’t let you get to my brother! Anyone but him!” the young Leone yelled. Nearby was young Leon.
“There’s still...!” Leone winced.
“It’s okay. I’ll do it.” Inglis held her friend back, but before she could move herself—
Slash! Slash!
Something flew toward the young siblings and pierced them. They twisted and then disappeared.
Leone stared in confusion.
“That’s—” Inglis turned her head.
A glimmering platinum halberd rose from the ground where they were.
“Y-You’re...”
“Liselotte? You lent a hand.”
Liselotte strode to retrieve the halberd planted in the ground. “Attacking them would have been hard for you or your friend to do, wouldn’t it? I thought it would be best if I took the initiative instead.”
“Yeah, that was helpful.”
“Thanks...”
As Leone cautiously thanked her, Liselotte briefly made eye contact. “I still don’t trust you completely, but I apologize for being so hurtful the other day. I’m sorry.”
“Mm...” Leone, shocked, was left speechless.
“I didn’t expect you to be such a nice person, Liselotte,” Inglis said.
“Saying ‘I didn’t expect’ was unnecessary.” Liselotte turned her head and pouted.
Maybe all’s well that ends well, Inglis thought.
◆◇◆
Inglis and the others continued to make their way above from Leone’s floor. The power of Liselotte’s Artifact let her carry both Inglis and Leone. And when they’d flown to the highest point, a glimmer of white light appeared beyond the hole in the ceiling. The three of them touched it.
In only a moment, they were back in the stone ring on the academy’s grounds.
“Hm? Looks like we made it out,” Inglis said.
“Oh... We really did,” Leone said.
“Yes, it appears that way,” Liselotte remarked.
Behind them, they could see the doors, just like when they had entered.
“Welcome back!” Principal Miriela called. “But—huh? You came out a different door than you entered, didn’t you? And all three from the same door?”
“Nothing unusual happened.”
“Really? Hmm... I must have slipped up somewhere...” Principal Miriela shook her head.
“That’s quite the lie after we forced our way out,” Liselotte whispered.
Leone and Inglis kept their voices down as well. “Yeah... And you helped me on the way.”
“It’s better if we all pass, though,” Inglis said. “We don’t want to take that test again.”
Liselotte agreed. “You’re right. We should get our story straight.”
“Yep. I don’t want to do that again,” Leone groaned.
“Principal Miriela, did we pass?” Inglis asked, turning to their test proctor.
“Well... You all came out a door, and that’s all I can judge you on. Very well. Inglis, Leone, Liselotte, you pass! Well done!”
Liselotte’s two retainers rushed up to her.
“Lady Liselotte, you’re amazing!” Ban exclaimed.
“We never expected anything less, milady,” Ray said.
“Why, it wasn’t difficult at all!” Liselotte proudly declared.
Ban and Ray glared sideways at Leone. “But is it okay that you made it through alongside her?”
“It’s possible she’s plotting something against you.” They were still very suspicious of Leon’s sister.
“Oh, stop that. I accept that you’re protective of me, but that’s no reason to accuse her of such wrongdoing.”
“Oh?” Ban sighed. “Got it.”
“As you wish, milady.” The two nodded, a look of shock on their faces.
“Let’s rest. I’m a bit worn out. I’d like to watch the others.” Liselotte left the stone ring.
“I’ll get something for you to sit on!”
“And perhaps I’ll find something to drink.”
The two retainers worked hard to look after Liselotte. As Leone watched them, Inglis clapped a hand on her shoulder and said, “That must have been tough on you, but I think she understands you a little better now.”
“Yeah... I hope so. Anyway, thanks for helping me. You looked so cool then, my heart was pounding! It’s strange. Even though you’re a girl...”
“Ha ha ha, well, I appreciate the compliment.” Inglis still had a different take on her gender from the norm, so maybe some of that masculinity was shining through. She wasn’t sure it was a good thing, but she didn’t think it was bad either. “I wonder how Rani did.” Inglis looked around for Rafinha but couldn’t find her.
Instead, she spotted Pullum, sitting next to Lahti outside the ring. “Did you pass?”
“No, she failed right at the beginning,” Lahti answered. “Right when she started, a hole opened up and kind of threw her out.”
“Really?”
“Ugh... I didn’t want to let you beat me...” Pullum mumbled, her spirits low.
“You’re too clumsy,” Lahti said. “Even if you have an upper-class Rune, you’re not suited to fighting alone. But there’s no use crying over spilled milk. Cheer up.”
“If you call me cute, I’ll feel better. Say I’m cute.”
“What?! Something silly like that is all it would take?!”
“Well, you said Inglis was cute, didn’t you?”
“Ugh, this again?”
Inglis thought he should tell her that she was attractive, but she understood his reluctance. Boys’ hearts worked like that. They couldn’t be honest with those they loved. He didn’t look at Inglis the same way, so that made it easier for him to be honest. Only time would wash away his apprehension.
“Anyway, Rani isn’t back yet,” Inglis said.
“Yeah, seems like it. Let’s wait for her.”
However, sitting around doing nothing would be boring. Inglis began to think about how she could use the free time for some kind of training.
“Principal Miriela, can I ask you something?”
“What is it, Inglis?”
“While we’re waiting for Rani, I want to practice under the higher gravity you showed me. Can you do that?”
“Huh? You want to do more of that? Well, I can help, but... You want to do that now of all times?”
“Yes! Please! And make it stronger this time!”
“Well, I said I could, so I don’t mind. Then I’ll cast it on that side of the ring.” Principal Miriela called out to those around her. “Anyone who doesn’t want to be affected by it, please move away. But this time I don’t mind if you use your Artifact’s power, so feel free to practice with it!”
“Can I join in? Training’s important,” Leone said.
“Me too. I won’t lose to you!” Liselotte hopped up.
“Lady Liselotte! Us too!”
“Allow myself to partake as well.”
“M-Me too!”
“Don’t, Pullum! Ah sheesh, guess I will too...”
Everyone wanted to join in.
“Here goes, then! The strongest I can do right now!”
Thuuud!
It was a far greater load than they’d imagined.
“Ugh...! Th-This is amazing!” Inglis had already increased the gravity on herself as well.
The combined effect made her body feel like lead—no, it was far stronger than that. If she wasn’t careful, she’d be crushed under her own weight. She managed to stand without being forced to her knees, but the flow of mana around her—she needed to remember, and well, how to increase the load. If she could replicate it, she could make her personal training more intense.
“Grrrr... I can’t stand, I can’t move, I’m gonna diiieee...” Lahti slumped to the ground, his eyes about to roll back in his head.
“Lahti! Ah... Eek!” Pullum stumbled on top of Lahti.
“Gaaah...”
They seemed to be having a hard time.
“Damn it! I can’t move!”
“My lady, are you okay?” Ban and Ray were completely hunched down on their rears.
“S-Somehow...”
“Ugh... It’s so heavy...” Leone grunted.
Liselotte and Leone were kneeling, trying to force themselves to their feet, but neither they nor anyone else seemed likely to move anytime soon. For now, Inglis figured it was probably best to get Lahti out of danger and out of the ring.
Inglis turned off her own added gravity. Now, under only the weight of Principal Miriela’s technique, it was much easier to move. “Haaah!” She tried to jump. And rose into the air, as expected. She completed a somersault before coming back down with a thud.
“Whaaat?!” they all yelled, gasping in awe. Their own bodies were telling them that such a thing was impossible under this weight.
Inglis approached Lahti, picked him up, and carried him out of the gravity field. “There you go! Are you okay?”
“Ha ha ha... This is so embarrassing, I’m getting princess-carried by someone who could be a princess...”
“It’s fine. From now on, consider us having gender equality.” Next, she carried Ban and Ray, both of whom couldn’t move, out of the field. “Phew. Even this is pretty hard work now.” Inglis wiped the pooling sweat from her forehead.
Leone and Liselotte were left speechless as they watched.
“N-No way... She’s moving so quickly even now.”
“And she’s a squire without a Rune... This makes no sense at all.”
Even Principal Miriela’s eyes widened. “You really are amazing... I’ve never seen anyone move like that under that much weight.”
“Thank you. Shall I carry you two out of here?” Inglis asked the two other girls in the ring.
Gritting their teeth, the two willed themselves to move.
“I’m fine. I’ll do it myself somehow...!”
“I refuse. I can’t lose to you!”
“That’s it! Inspired by your friend, you push yourselves! What a beautiful sight! Do your best! ♪” Principal Miriela was glad to see the pair determined to remain.
Suddenly, a door appeared. As it opened, everyone saw Rafinha inside.
“Huh? I made— Uggghhhh! Wh-What the heck is this?!”
“Ah, Rani. Welcome back,” Inglis said. “You made it through without issues? That’s good.” Coming out of a door seemed to mean she passed, so she probably had. Coming out right into the middle of the higher gravity was just an unlucky accident.
“But I do have an issue! It’s so heavy here! Chris, save meee!” Rafinha whined.
“Okay, okay. I’ll be right there.”
“No, Rafinha!” Leone said. “Stand with your own strength!”
“You mustn’t just rely on others!” Liselotte encouraged.
“That’s right, Rafinha! Try your hardest!” Miriela called.
Rafinha couldn’t help being confused. “Huuuuh? What kind of commotion is this? Even the Principal is in on it?”
In any case, Inglis and friends had passed the test. They had gained permission to accept the offer from Fars of the Rambach Company.
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