Episode 28: So This Is Romance Fantasy, Huh
Exactly three days after Abel had holed himself up in the training grounds upon hearing about the upcoming plans from the headmaster—
[No matter what decision you make, the Continental Academy will respect each and every one of you.]
The voice of Headmaster Ludwig, amplified by his ability, echoed throughout the Academy.
[Any student who wishes to return home may do so. Even if you later decide to come back, there will be no penalty.]
[For those who choose to stay and observe the situation further, the staff will also remain. Though not all classes will be held normally, we’ll maintain as much as we can.]
Ability users from prestigious families were almost all being called back home—or even to their home countries—under pressure from their families.
Meanwhile, those from average families or commoner backgrounds had nowhere better to go, and preferred to stay.
Taking all of this into account, the headmaster chose not to announce a full shutdown nor a complete return to normal.
Instead, he made it clear that every decision would be respected.
[And lastly…]
Then, he delivered something that a true ability user would never be able to ignore.
[For students who seek justice, or revenge—there will soon be a path for you as well. Agreements have already been reached with the Empire and other nations.]
[There are still enemies who have not yet escaped the Empire. Our Academy will take direct action to track them down and bring them to justice. Of course, if you wish—you may join the battle.]
Not just “participate” or “attend”—but join the battle. That word alone sent chills down some students’ spines.
This was what they had wanted.
Not to become mere decorations, despite being ability users.
Not to have their powers turned into entertainment for the high and mighty.
They wanted to make names for themselves, to use their abilities as a real force of power and dominance.
There were plenty who had become ability users with that very hope in mind.
Even if they left the academy, there were no real wars to be fought. And even if one broke out, ability users weren’t deployed anymore.
That may have been the case in the past—but now, the cost of such conflicts was considered too high.
Because of this, ability users from high-ranking noble families no longer had to risk death or serious injury.
Naturally, they were quite pleased with the status quo.
But for those from ordinary backgrounds, it was different.
They needed war.
Achievements in battle meant advancement. Advancement meant improving their status—and eventually providing their children with a better life.
Then the Academy was attacked.
Massive casualties. Heavy damage.
Revenge was already simmering.
And now, the headmaster himself had declared that revenge would be taken—that they would gather those willing to fight.
“I’ll join the battle.”
For Abel, declaring his intention was only natural.
Caligo had already anticipated it, as had Flam, Portus—and even Rel—each nodding as if they’d seen it coming.
“No, Lord Abel!”
But Seria, it seemed, wanted to stop him.
“It’s dangerous. Wouldn’t it be better to leave this to others?”
“That’s exactly why I need to go. You only gain experience equal to the risks you take, Lady Seria.”
“But still…”
“I came here to learn. I’m not acting out of vengeance. And this—facing off against other ability users—this is an incredible opportunity for growth.”
He made it clear—he wasn’t blinded by anger or ego.
He had coldly assessed the situation and concluded that joining the fight would be beneficial in every way.
As Abel reasoned with her like that, even Seria couldn’t bring herself to argue further.
“Let it go, Lady Seria. This is Abel we’re talking about. No way he’d back down with enemies still out there.”
“Impressive. Hey, Abel, was it? You should come to my family’s domain sometime—I’ll treat you well.”
“Back off, arsonist. The Sparrow family will be extending the first invitation. He saved my life—he deserves to be a guest of honor, many times over.”
“If I get the chance, I’d like to spar with you myself.”
Caligo, Flam, Portus, and Rel—all four had already decided to return home or to their home countries.
It wasn’t their own choice—they simply couldn’t resist the pressure from their families.
The Academy also seemed to subtly encourage their departure.
After all, if supremacists were to kill even one of them, it would be catastrophic.
A prince of the Empire, the children of the strongest elemental users, and even the Prime Minister’s son—
Yes, they would be powerful allies in battle, but in the worst-case scenario, the consequences would far outweigh the benefits.
“So, the four of you are leaving, then.”
“We intended to stay, but under the circumstances, we must return. You understand, don’t you, Abel? That there are things even scarier than death. Lady Seria, what about you…”
“I’ll join the battle too.”
…What?
Huh? What?!?
At Seria’s bombshell declaration, the four young men could only gape, making a series of incoherent noises.
Even Abel, caught completely off guard, had to ask again just to be sure.
“Lady Seria? You’re not returning home—you’re joining the battle?”
“Yes. Abel just said it himself, didn’t he? That this is the best opportunity to learn. Then I have to go too. I’m still the one who’s most lacking… and if I want to become a star in the sky instead of just a firefly, I have to work harder.”
“Well, that may be true, but… hmm.”
Abel reflexively glanced at the four young men standing behind Seria.
Their expressions were all different, but somehow he could tell they were thinking the exact same thing:
‘Come on, Abel! Convince Lady Seria! Tell her not to go—it’s too dangerous!’
That was it.
He was sure those guys were looking at him with exactly that expectation.
And with that realization, Abel felt strangely… wronged.
If they were that worried, they should convince her themselves!
Why were they suddenly dumping it on him?
“Romance fantasy male leads always do this, huh?” Abel thought bitterly. “What, do they all have some kind of curse where they die if they just speak their mind?”
Feeling a sudden rush of annoyance, Abel turned to the four and gave them the faintest smirk.
If nothing else, that smirk clearly said: “Not this time. I’m not doing what you want.”
“If that’s your decision, Lady Seria, then I won’t try to stop you. You’re a full-fledged ability user, after all. And you’ve just awakened a new power—so you should be fine.”
New power.
Come to think of it, back then things had been so chaotic that he hadn’t realized…
But now, looking back, Seria’s growth had clearly been incredible.
Her original ability had been a small flickering flame.
To be blunt—it was more like scattering ashes than fire.
There were a lot of sparks, sure, but they were weak, and she couldn’t control them well.
Then everything changed during the fight with Julien.
Most notably, the butterflies born from her flames—that was the turning point.
Not just Abel and the other students, even the professors had been shocked.
Cases like this weren’t unheard of—but they were far from common.
Yes, an ability usually grows stronger through training and experience.
But “stronger” typically meant more powerful attacks or more diverse techniques.
A complete transformation in the form of the ability—like Seria’s—was extremely rare.
“Hold on, hold on. Lady Seria. I really don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Please don’t stop me, Lord Caligo.”
“Just hear me out. Your ability has gone through a major change, right? That means now’s the time to figure out how to use and control it. What do the rest of you think?”
At Caligo’s signal, Flam and Portus nodded vigorously in agreement.
Rel—whose dream was to be a warrior rather than just the Prime Minister’s son—tilted his head at first, as if to say “Is that really necessary?”, but soon enough, he nodded too.
“Lady Seria, this isn’t a drill. You’re talking about joining an actual battle. There’s no safety net like at the Academy. It’s dangerous—truly dangerous!”
When the issue of Seria’s safety was brought up, even Rel ended up persuaded.
…
Four young men doing their best to convince one woman.
And the one woman standing her ground.
Abel, watching the whole thing, was utterly blank inside.
Ever since he realized what kind of story this was, he had fully expected this kind of scene.
They’d figure it out on their own eventually.
What he needed to focus on now was how to deal with the supremacists.
“I’m going anyway. Even if it’s dangerous, if I don’t take risks, I’ll never grow!”
“Lady Seria!”
“I’m an ability user. That’s why I came to the Academy, and I’ve been given chances others haven’t. I just want to do my part.”
Seria had made up her mind.
She wasn’t going to back down.
In the end, it was the four trying to stop her who had to give up.
“It can’t be helped. Then I’m not going back to the imperial palace either.”
“My father’s going to chew me out… but once I’ve gained some real combat experience, he’ll probably praise me for it. Right, water guy?”
“Ugh, this is the one time I actually agree with the arsonist. What about you, Rel?”
“…If I go home now, they’ll just call me the Prime Minister’s son again. I’d rather be known as a young hero who helped bring down the supremacists.”
Oh, please. Don’t lie, all of you. It’s obvious you’re just staying to be near Seria.
Honestly, Abel thought, maybe romance fantasy was just a form of hypnosis.
How else could you explain perfectly capable men throwing away their logic and intelligence over one girl?
The situation had flipped completely.
Now Seria was the one trying to stop them from going, and they were the ones stubbornly insisting they had to follow her.
All Abel could do was stare up at the sky, genuinely exasperated.
He should've expected it. Academy + romance typically is full of action after all.
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