Academy’s Genius Swordsman

#297

“This much.”

Schlieffen said. There was no answer. Iril was fast asleep, buried in the middle of the huge chair. Marja, who saw her, muttered involuntarily.

“···She looks like a princess.”

“Wow, this is really… dazzling.”

Braum, who was standing next to him, also nodded. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Even though she was beautiful in a rag doll, she was different today.

A gorgeous and elegant dress, like something you would see at a ball at the palace, was draped over her body. The dress, as white as the first snow, seemed to have been made just for her.

“Is this a crown? It’s pretty…”

A beautiful tiara was placed on top of her well-combed hair. She had been brought in to be canonized as a saint, and it seemed as if she had been treated accordingly.

Schlieffen's mind was momentarily frozen by the truly fatal beauty, but he soon regained his senses and began to examine Iril's condition. Before long, Schlieffen breathed a sigh of relief.

“···Thank goodness.”

Even after a close examination, I couldn't find any wounds. His breathing was regular and he didn't seem to have any serious illness.

However, I was concerned that he wouldn't wake up no matter how many times I called him. It seemed like he had been put to sleep by some kind of sleeping spell. I thought I should take him to the military doctor right away. At that moment, Marja tilted her head as she noticed Schlieffen standing there doing nothing.

“Why all of a sudden? Aren’t you moving?”

“···Listen.”

“Me? Wouldn’t it be better if I did it myself? I think my older sister would like it better that way.”

“I… no, just keep quiet and listen.”

Schlieffen, who avoided eye contact, shook his head. For the first time, a blush appeared on his face, which had remained unchanged even after killing three-digit enemies. It wasn't hard to figure out why. Marja snorted.

“Haha. You’re cute, but you don’t match.”

“···Shut up.”

“How can I propose when I can’t even hug you? Anyway, get out of the way. I’ll do it for you.”

“Hold it gently. Like handling a glass bead.”

Schlieffen scolded. Marja did as he asked. Iril's body felt as light as a feather to Marja, who was swinging a large sword larger than her body with one hand. Suddenly, Iril, who had been sleeping, let out a bashful laugh.

“Ehehe···.”

“Oh, Sister is smiling. You must be having a good dream.”

Marja smiled along. It was a baby-like, peaceful smile that warmed my heart just by looking at it.

But they couldn't relax yet. Rescue meant escaping the enemy camp with the hostage. Furthermore, they still had a mission to stop the giant's descent ritual. Marja said.

“What should we do now? What about consciousness?”

“If you haven’t found them by now, they’re probably up here. I’ll take care of them, and you guys just take this sheep and escape somehow.”

Schlieffen pointed upward with his index finger. Marja's eyes widened.

“You’re going to face the archbishops all by yourself?”

“They are defenseless when they perform rituals. And I have already caught two archbishops. I think it is a reasonable judgment.”

“Well, that’s true, but···.”

Schlieffen answered indifferently. In fact, he had witnessed the ritual of summoning the giants in Adren. It was an act that consumed a lot of energy, so it would be easy to find a loophole.

Furthermore, the archbishops that Schlieffen had captured were the so-called strongest forces, Pantasion and Alon. If he approached cautiously and succeeded in a surprise attack, he thought he could finish them off surprisingly easily. Braum slowly mumbled.

“Sure… that seems best.”

“···Okay. Just don’t get hurt.”

Marja followed suit and sighed. She hugged Iril, who was still sleeping soundly, a little tighter.

Now that the plan was made, it was time to put it into action. They were just about to take a step forward. Schlieffen, sensing a chill, shouted urgently.

“Everyone is in danger!”

“what?”

The group stopped. At that moment, the ceiling right in front of them collapsed with a loud explosion. Kwaaaaang-! The pouring dust covered the room.

“Ugh!”

“What, what?!”

Marja and Braum cried out in bewilderment. They all reflexively covered themselves with mana shields, so they were not harmed. Meanwhile, Iril was fast asleep.

【Stop.】

Suddenly, a creepy voice rang out. Five figures emerged from the dust. The three instinctively knew that they were the archbishop. A woman stepped forward with the sound of her shoes.

“you···!”

Marja gasped as her eyes met hers. Her gorgeous robe and beautiful appearance were impressive. It was a face she remembered.

【That's about it, you little rats.】

Archbishop Letancier said. The three had met her earlier, at the beginning of the war. It was the archbishop who had laughed on the ramparts and brought despair to the Allied forces.

However, the atmosphere was completely different from that time. The energy emanating from her body had become incomparably more powerful than before. Even the gesture of elegantly sweeping her hair behind her ears felt threatening.

“Ugh···!”

“Wh, what did you do?”

Braum shrugged. It felt like he was facing a giant, not a human. A completely different being from the archbishops he had encountered during his sweep operations.

I had no idea how I had gotten this strength. Then another man stepped forward.

【Put the saint down now. I will kill you without pain.】

It was Verminion who held the office of Archbishop like the others. Letancier shook his head.

【Go with the others, Verminion. I will take care of these rats. It was my original duty to look after the saintess.】

【Don't do that, just share some. There's no need to be conscious of it anyway.】

Verminion spoke in a whiny tone. Marja gritted her teeth. These bastards didn't even see us as opponents. The other three archbishops were also silent, but they were the same. Schlieffen, who had been silent, spoke for the first time.

“What do you mean there’s no need to be conscious?”

【Eavesdropping like a rat… well, that's literally it. Suddenly, my connection with the sky was cut off.】

“A connection with heaven···?”

【Yes. But that's not a bad thing at all. The power of starlight has become stronger.】

Verminion nodded. He told them the current situation as if it were nothing special. As Schlieffen had guessed, the archbishops were performing a ritual to summon the giant.

The ceremony, which was proceeding smoothly, was interrupted at some point. It was said that all the magic circles suddenly collapsed and began to merge into one. The reason was unknown. However, the release of the power of the star that traveled between heaven and earth was a great stroke of luck for the archbishops.

Only then did Schlieffen realize why the archbishops had suddenly become so powerful. Like the dragon king he had seen in Adren, they too had absorbed the power of the overflowing starlight. Verminion groaned.

【We plan to find out more details from now on. Of course, before that···】

Suddenly, Verminion's hand went up. The faces of the group hardened. The moment he swung his arm, a crescent-shaped sword energy shot out toward the three people.

“Everyone, everyone is in danger!”

Braum, who had hurriedly blocked the way, raised his great shield. The sword was about to collide with the shield. Marja instinctively stretched out her arm and grabbed the back of Braum’s neck.

“Idiot, get out of here!”

“Ugh!”

Boom! An explosion rang out as Braum fell backwards. The shield, which had fallen a step too late, landed on his stomach.

“Ugh···!”

Braum's face turned pale as he saw the shield. The part that had been hit by the sword disappeared as if it had been cut off with scissors. His body almost got torn in half. Verminion continued.

【I have to kill you all, though.】

Gooooo… A strangely colored curtain rose from his feet, rippling. The star protection that they had seen so many times seemed stronger than anything the group had ever encountered before. Letancier, who was watching the scene from behind, let out a sigh.

【Phew… Then let’s clean it up quickly.】

She looked like a mother with a mischievous child. The remaining three archbishops stepped forward. They too were stronger than Verminion, but they did not look weak.

“···Is this the end?”

Marja laughed in vain. She had no hope of winning. She wondered if she could win even if Zaifa, who was wandering around the castle, came to help her. Suddenly, Schlieffen looked back at her.

(Hey. Is there any blood left?)

“huh?”

Marja opened her eyes. Suddenly, Schlieffen's voice rang in her head. When there was no answer, the call came again.

(He asked if Ronan's blood was still there.)

(That, that… there's a little left.)

Marja nodded. She was quick-witted and realized that Schlieffen was planning something. Was there some kind of plan? Marja, with a little hope, touched the bottle of blood hanging from her waistband.

Bam! Schlieffen suddenly reached out and grabbed the vial of blood hanging from her waist. He poured it all onto his sword. Marja's eyes widened.

(What the heck is this?!)

(You run away with this sheep. I will do something about this.)

(No matter how hard you try, you won't be able to beat him!)

Marja screamed internally. Anyone who wasn't an idiot could tell. The archbishops in front of her were not opponents they could deal with. Schlieffen, who had been silent for a moment, continued speaking.

(We came here to help this sheep escape.)

Schlieffen, who had said so, nodded toward the wall. Marja, who realized the meaning, bit her lower lip. The archbishops were approaching at this very moment, so she had to make a quick decision.

Is this right? Is this really right?

My head and heart were making different arguments. It wasn’t easy to make up my mind even though I already knew the answer. Marja soon came to a conclusion and lowered her head.

“···Okay. Don’t die until I come back.”

Marja spoke in a voice. Schlieffen did not answer. Braum, who had received the operation from her, raised his eyebrows.

“Wait a minute, what is that···.”

“Shut up, I’m going!”

Boom! Marja suddenly grabbed Braum by the back of his neck and jumped up, kicking the ground. She was headed for the wall, not the door. Letancier, who noticed what she was trying to do, reached out his hand urgently.

【Wait a minute, stop!】

Seven invisible spears shot toward the two people. However, they did not pierce Marja's back. Kagagak! With a series of cracking sounds, all seven spears were cut off. It was Schlieffen's sword that was fired from a distance.

“thank you!”

Marja shouted. At the same time, she and the wall collided, and a loud noise rang out. Kwaaang! The outside scenery spread out beyond the wall that had shattered as if it had exploded. Marja, who hugged Iril even tighter, jumped out of the hole.

【Oh my!】

Letancier's face hardened. She had never expected to miss this. The moment she hurriedly tried to fly away, a tornado rose in front of her. Kwaaaaa-! The tornado made of cold wind completely blocked the hole in the wall.

【you···!】

Letancier glared at Schlieffen. Not only her, but all the archbishops' eyes were focused on him. An overwhelming murderous spirit that would have made a normal person lose their mind and become unbearable began to weigh on his whole body.

【It would be better not to think about dying gracefully.】

【This guy is completely crazy. Can't he grasp the subject?】

Schlieffen said nothing. Suddenly, he remembered the day he first met Iril. The moment he turned the corner and met her was probably something he would never forget. He muttered softly as he stood blocking the front door.

“···I thought I met an angel.”

【what?】

Verminion tilted his head at the sudden muttering. Schlieffen gently swung his sword. Crunch! At the same time, blood gushed out from the neck of Verminion, who was standing at the very front.

“Ugh···.”

【Bur, Verminion!】

Verminion fell to one knee, blood gushing from the severed artery. Of course, a wound of that magnitude would heal quickly, but Schlieffen’s goal was to buy time.

Schlieffen, holding his sword upside down, slammed the tip of his sword into the floor. Crunch! A curtain of wind rose with a faint crashing sound and enveloped the room. It was a storm barrier that would not disappear until he died or released it.

【How dare you!】

【Stupid thing. Locking yourself up.】

There were various reactions. Some were furious, others laughed. But no one was afraid, even though he was confined. What Schlieffen did was that reckless.

Schlieffen said nothing. He knew it too. There was no chance. In his head, burning with fear, a question kept ringing in his ears.

Do you really think you can do it?

Do you think someone like you can protect the daughter of a star?

It was probably an auditory hallucination. Otherwise, the voice wouldn't have been the same as his. The archbishops each took out their weapons and prepared to tear him apart. After a long moment of silence, he grabbed the handle of his sword.

“···yes.”

The trembling ceased. A storm was swirling around the bluish sword. Schlieffen, aiming his sword at the archbishops, continued speaking.

“I can protect you.”

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