Surviving as a Villain at the Academy - Surviving as a Villain at the Academy chapter 185

185 – Turning the Tower Upside Down. (4)

The night before entering the Tower, I decided to show my father the extent of my power objectively. After all, he’s someone who will become my absolute ally.

Of course, I must keep Asti’s identity a secret… but at least I thought I should show him Salus, which I acquired during my last journey to the Holy Kingdom.

“What’s the matter? To see me alone on such a late night.”

“I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Last time, when I went to the Holy Kingdom… I obtained something that could be called a serendipity.”

“Fate, you say?”

“Have you heard about the things I did in the Holy Kingdom?”

“Yes, your deeds are quite famous after all.”

“Including the part where I brought necromancers into the heart of the Holy Kingdom?”

“I’ve heard about that too. The two kids who visited the mansion last time, were they called Lina and Nea?”

“Yes.”

“Why bring them up all of a sudden?”

“Actually, their role was quite significant. To roughly tell you what happened in the Land of Specters…”

I then recounted to my father the events in the Land of the Dead, suitably embellished. How the two necromancers conversed with a specter and ventured into a strange space.

And there, they touched a certain sword, and upon touching it, they experienced something extraordinary.

“What happened?”

“It was… just a mad battle.”

“With whom?”

“With the specters of the past. It seems the fight was a kind of trial, for after the battle ended, the sword became bound to me. I’ve grown remarkably stronger since then. And the moment I reclaimed the sword, the Land of Specters began to purify.”

I deliberately omitted the story about Salus and Umbra. A rough explanation was sufficient for now.

“An unbelievable tale. Could you show me the sword?”

I nodded and summoned Salus. As Salus materialized out of thin air, my father couldn’t help but be astonished.

“This is… astounding. Has your recent skill growth to an unbelievable level been thanks to this sword?”

“I apologize for telling you so late. I thought to keep it hidden in case someone accidentally found out… but I decided it was right to tell you.”

“Well done. If word of such a sword got out, it would be just the thing for greedy souls to covet. The greed of humans seeking higher realms knows no end. Just look at the recent Tower incident; wasn’t that caused by greed?”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“By the way, can you gauge how much power you can wield now?”

“Um… I’m not quite sure. I’ve become stronger, but I don’t know to what extent.”

“If you were to face Sir Ethan in combat, how well could you contend?”

“I probably wouldn’t go down easily.”

“That’s good enough for me. I know you’re not one to boast without cause.”

I was considering showing my father the extent of my power with Salus, but he strongly advised against it.

He knew from the knights of our house, including Sir Ethan, that my skills had risen to an unbelievable level after my return from the Holy Kingdom.

“After all, even if you demonstrate it here, I wouldn’t be able to appreciate it, would I?”

“…You’re right. Understood.”

“If you’ve become that strong, then you might be somewhat prepared for the Tower Master’s strength. Even with the Imperial Knight Commander and the Saintess, there was a slight sense of danger.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Didn’t I just say so? I know you don’t speak idly. But that’s not all. As the Prime Minister, I receive more information than you might think. I know all about how you’ve been performing, what you’ve done in the Holy Kingdom. Of course, there were no details about that sword, but I’m mostly aware of everything else.”

Father spoke calmly.

“And unless one is a fool, it’s possible to roughly gauge the extent of your abilities. It’s a clear difference when one or two people say you’re strong versus the majority of those who went to the Holy Kingdom with you speaking of your strength.”

“…I see.”

“After all, it was because I believed in your abilities that I allowed you to accompany me to such a dangerous place. You just need to unfold your skills to the fullest. But… be careful. The Tower Master is a very ruthless person.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

Father seemed worried that something dangerous might befall me. In truth, the one who should be most concerned was not me, but Father.

Of course… even that was just needless worry. The greatest problem-solver was always by my side, ready to handle any situation.

* * *

The Tower Master wore a confident expression. It was true that Edmund Lancel had brought along some considerable talents in case of an unexpected battle, but that was still not enough.

Magicians are those who prepare. From the moment the Tower Master accepted Delagio’s method, he anticipated such events. The royal family wasn’t foolish enough not to notice the disappearances.

No matter how cunningly one conducts their affairs, a long tail will eventually get caught. Of course, if the concealment had been perfect, it might have bought some time, but that was a meaningless action.

Therefore, he fervently pondered how to escape once caught. After all, the royal family would press the Tower in some way or another, so he just needed to be well-prepared for that pressure and then quietly slip away.

For others, escape might be impossible. But for the Tower Master alone, it was feasible. To him, other magicians were merely tools to elevate his own status, so he had no hesitation in abandoning them.

The research journal of Aime provided an opportunity to cross that wall, holding enough value for him. There wasn’t a magician who didn’t dream of immortality.

From the days of creating small offerings of fire to now being able to manipulate space, reaching new realms was always a thrilling experience for him.

Anyway, the Tower Master prepared for a desperate resistance with his magicians. The presence of the Imperial Knight Commander and the Saintess on the opposing side was a bit troublesome, but they were bound to struggle against the magicians he had prepared in advance.

Thus, it was best to deal with those who had crawled into this place quickly. The faster they were handled, the higher the chance of escape.

The Tower Master snapped his fingers.

At that moment, magical circles rose throughout the Tower, binding the magicians.

“What?”

But the question was fleeting. The bound magicians closed their eyes and manipulated their mana, and soon their power began to flow towards the Tower Master.

“Everyone, be careful!”

Adrian sensed something ominous. Such immense mana. If this mana were to become magic in the hands of the Tower Master, the safety of those present couldn’t be guaranteed.

Whoosh!

She gathered the priests who had followed her and swiftly cast a holy spell. The barrier that had been shown during the last Behemoth subjugation now enveloped Edmund and the inspection team.

Indeed, having experienced several significant battles recently, Adrian’s speed in constructing holy magic was so fast that the term ‘swift’ seemed inadequate.

“I’m aware that the Saintess is remarkable. But will that be enough? You probably know better than anyone how powerful the prepared magicians are.”

The Tower Master flashed a confident smile. Indeed, a tremendous divine power. Ordinary attack magic couldn’t possibly penetrate that barrier. But that was an underestimation of the Tower Master.

In this vast empire, it was the Tower Master who had reached the highest realm of magic. The title of Archmage wasn’t something one could earn by merely studying magic in a corner.

The magicians’ mana flowed endlessly through the magic circle to the Tower Master. The court magicians began to pale just from the flow of this mana.

It was a spell too formidable for them to handle. Not that the court magicians were of low caliber, but even if they combined their magic, it was overwhelming to counter the magic manifested by the Tower Master alone.

And now, the Tower Master was using the tower magicians to supplement his mana while casting attack magic? In an instant, this place could become their grave.

Adrian also sensed it. It was impossible to block. It felt even more distant than when he faced Behemoth.

The Imperial Knights’ Commander, Ethan, felt the flow of mana and immediately rushed towards the Tower Master. His movements, swift as lightning, reached the Tower Master in that moment.

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Clang!

A vast barrier of mana enveloped the Tower Master. There was nothing to see.

Casting magic was a moment of utmost danger for a magician, and countering it was the most basic of basics. The shield, manifested by the numerous magicians of the tower, was solid enough to block even the sword strike of the Imperial Knights’ Commander.

Ethan was momentarily flustered, but calmly infused his sword with mana again.

But it was already too late.

The Tower Master’s spell chant had already ended.

An abnormal speed of magic implementation. That was possible only because the Tower Master handled the vast mana efficiently. In such a situation, the best magic wasn’t something complex and high-dimensional.

It was simple, yet powerful and quick to manifest.

A giant sun appeared before everyone’s eyes. The Fireball, a spell often used by Praha. However, the power infused in it was incomparably greater than what Praha had used before.

The small, blue-burning sun, now reduced to the size of a small ball, was rotating in the Tower Master’s hand.

Cold sweat ran down Ethan’s back.