Free Web NovelChapter 224: The Spider and the Empress (1)
The excitement of the Seven Stars Cultural Festival faded quickly. With the second semester’s final examinations right around the corner, the cadets busily moved in and out of the training grounds, pushing themselves hard to prepare.
Of course, that was only true for the normal cadets. Sitting in the second-floor lounge of the party house, I stared out the window and let out a long sigh. My suspension, which had felt like it would go on forever, had finally ended, but unlike the others, I wasn’t preparing for the finals at all. There was no point in it. I was at the bottom of the rankings.
After the trouble on the field trip and the incident with Laneige, I had already been slapped with two suspensions this semester, which was enough to cement my place at the very bottom. Even if Headmaster Ryu pulled some strings to prevent me from repeating the year, there was no saving my grades now.
But something was more important than that. Even if I was technically not suspended anymore, in this situation, I couldn’t focus on exams.
During my fight with the Archbishop of Madness, I had gained one crucial piece of information. It was about the Church of Eternity, a mysterious organization I had never even heard of in my previous life. While I didn’t know what their goal was, I knew they were heading to the Imperial Palace.
“The first-ranked hero, Empress Camellia Padsha,” I muttered.
I had never spoken to her, nor even seen her in person, given her status. But I had heard enough stories. She was said to be unbelievably strong. Even though she rarely displayed her full power in public, the tale of her shattering half of Gehenna, the demon’s city, with a single gesture was so famous that I had heard of it even when I lived in a remote orphanage in the Republic. She had become the first-ranked hero immediately after that.
The root of Camellia’s strength wasn’t sword mastery or the pinnacle of magic. The Blessing she was born with was just simply absurd—pure and overwhelming.
She was a little similar to Laneige. Her blessing, known as the Blessing of the Seven Stars, allowed her to temporarily wield the power of the Seven Gods. Thus, she had earned the title “Avatar of the Seven Gods.” Empress Camellia wasn’t just superhuman; she was borderline divine.
“The problem is who on earth could kill someone like her?”
I didn’t know how strong the Church of Eternity actually was and whether it could really kill Camellia. But what I did know was that in my previous life, almost no signs of resistance were found at the scene of her death. It meant that for some reason, she did not use the Blessing of the Seven Stars when she died. As for whether she didn’t choose to or if she was unable to, no one knew.
Eyes closed, I exhaled deeply. “Haa!”
The important fact was that the Church of Eternity was heading for the Imperial Palace, and I had to prevent Camellia’s death at all costs. If she died, the war between the Republic and the Empire would happen all over again. In my previous life, it was a catastrophe that had claimed the lives of hundreds and thousands of heroes. I could not allow it to happen again.
“But how do I even get into the Imperial Palace?”
It wasn’t a neighborhood community center; I couldn’t just walk in. The only one who could enter it among my party members was Yurina, since she was technically an Imperial noble. But even she couldn’t enter it without proper authorization.
“Ugh.”
I decided to think about that later. It was not something I could solve just by worrying. Worst case, I would sneak in. It was not ideal, but still a valid option.
“For now, I should train and clear my head.”
With everything happening, I hadn’t been training at all lately. I headed down to the first floor and walked to the center of the wide training arena. Closing my eyes, I slowly breathed in. I recalled the events of the cultural festival, or more specifically, the battle with the Archbishop of Madness.
I had won thanks to the Blessing of Resurrection, but in terms of pure skill, I had lost. Even with Ignition and Blazing Flame, I couldn’t fully block the storm of red thorns. Still, I hadn’t played one card in that battle: Cataclysmic Flame, the technique I had gained after absorbing the Primordial Ember. It was a terrifying ability that engulfed the entire surrounding area in Primordial Flame.
If I had used Cataclysmic Flame, would I have stopped them? But Cataclysmic Flame still isn’t practical in real combat.
If I had used it, I probably could’ve burned away all of the Archbishop’s red thorns. But the reason I decided against using Cataclysmic Flame was not that I wanted to hold back and hide my trump card; I was simply unable to use it. This skill’s mana consumption was insane.
“If I absorb one more Primordial Ember, I might be able to use it properly.”
But I had no clue where to find another. The only thing I could do right now was increase my control so that the technique would consume less mana.
The Ashen Flame burning around me spread outward, forming a circular domain. I had decided to start small, with a one-meter radius. However, saying that I had expanded the domain would be an exaggeration since it was only a one-meter radius.
“Haa!”
A tingling thrill ran down my spine. It was just one meter, but within this space, I felt omnipotent, as if I had become a god. Even a snap of my fingers was enough. Ashen Flames would flare to life in empty air, and with a light gesture, they would whip around violently as if dancing. Of course, this much was something I could do even without using Cataclysmic Flame.
But the feeling when using it with Cataclysmic Flame was completely different. It was like the difference between throwing something with my hand and manipulating the object to rise and launch itself effortlessly. The item would fly in both cases, but in the latter one, without the hand-throwing part, the power moved faster, freer, and more naturally.
Within this domain, I suddenly felt an illusion, as if I had become the Demon God, a god who freely commanded Primordial Flame. But the intoxicating sense of omnipotence lasted only a moment. The domain of Cataclysmic Flame abruptly shrank, and the Ashen Flames blazing in the air scattered away.
“Ugh.”
Can’t believe I had the nerve to call myself a Demon God.
“Haa!”
While recovering the mana I had burned through, I grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator set up in the training arena. Suddenly, the doors opened, and a woman in a black suit stepped inside.
I looked at her. “Professor Baldwin?”
“I knew you’d be here.”
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“The headmaster summoned you. I came to fetch you.”
Wondering why he would do so, I replied, “If it’s that kind of message, he could’ve just contacted me through the Hero Watch.”
She approached with a faint smile. “Heh. Isn’t it nicer to deliver it face-to-face like this? And besides...”
Gently brushing back my sweat-damp hair, she continued, “I also get to see you looking all sexy.”
“Sexy?”
“They say a man working hard is always sexy, don’t they?”
Our professor truly has an interesting preference, I thought.
“Anyway, are you finished training?” she asked.
“Yes. I was just about to rest.”
“Good. Wash up and head to the headmaster’s office.” ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
“You’re not planning to get into the bath with me again, are you?”
Her cheeks reddened as memories from that time flashed across her mind. “Ahem. T-today we don’t have time, so, um, let’s save that for another day.”
I let out a soft laugh and headed for the bathhouse in the basement.
***
After washing up, I arrived in front of the headmaster’s office and knocked.
“Come in.”
The inside of the headmaster’s office was a room packed with old books, like a transplanted antique bookstore. Inside, Headmaster Ryu sat waiting.
“I heard you called for me,” I said.
“There’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Headmaster Ryu stroked his wrinkled chin, smiling faintly. “First, I heard you personally handled the demon that infiltrated the academy.”
“Ah, yes. I did.”
I didn’t reveal that the infiltrator had been the Archbishop of Madness, but Professor Baldwin had reported everything else to him.
“Thank you. Because of you, we avoided another disaster like the Sealing Festival.”
“Well, Professor Baldwin helped a lot.”
Nodding, Lionel continued with a satisfied expression, “Hoho. I like your modesty. About the Beast Skin Group you reported, I mean, the Church of Eternity. I informed Empress Camellia.”
“What did she say?”
“As expected, she didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned.”
“Right.”
Her reaction made sense. To Empress Camellia, the report that some unheard-of church was targeting the Imperial Palace probably sounded like a kitten hissing at a tiger.
Unfortunately, with this, my plan of using the investigation as an excuse to meet her had crumpled away. A headache crept in as I realized I would actually have to infiltrate the palace myself.
If I got caught this time, it would not end with just expulsion. Worst case, the Empire could officially brand me an enemy. And then, the consequences wouldn’t fall on me alone. Everyone connected to me would get pulled in.
No matter how powerful my party was, we couldn’t win against an entire nation. Even if we could, the cost would be nothing but meaningless bloodshed.
“Ugh!”
Just as I was seriously debating about my new plan, Headmaster Ryu stroked his beard and spoke quietly. “Ah, that’s right. I still haven’t told you why I called you here today. After hearing your report, Empress Camellia said she wanted to meet you herself. She sent you an invitation.”
“What?”
“Well, it’s still the middle of the semester, but if you’re willing, how about visiting the Imperial Palace for a few days?”
I knew the future had changed beyond recognition, but this was unexpected. Never in my life had I expected to receive a personal invitation from the Empress.
Life really is unpredictable.
