Chapter 166

Chapter 166

“Depression of the Wolf” (2)

I had never heard the name ‘Patricia’. However, the family name that followed, ‘Bloomriver’, was quite familiar to me. Act 5 of “Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman”. The final act, which deals with the stories of Sacred Dragon Bellbrook and the Great Sage Sylvania, is full of episodes mainly featuring the tension between families until all the truths come to light. As the story covers the foundation and origin of the Sylvania Academy, numerous characters are involved, including those from families that the story had touched upon as it progressed.

In the Clorel Empire, when asked to name a renowned martial family, you would likely hear the names of the Callamore, Nortondale, or Elfellan families. Similarly, when speaking of families known for magic, the Sanyal and Whitepeltz would be mentioned. Although the Bloomriver family held the lowest-ranking among such distinguished magical families, they had also been dishonored and lost their status due to constant troublemaking after the emperor of Clorel ascended to the throne.

The heads of the family, more interested in alchemy than magic, would not stop aggressive magical experiments despite various accidents that resulted in serious injuries or blowing up hills... Certainly less extreme than the Rothtaylor family, known for their research into evil gods’ powers... The problem was the frequency of disasters. Explosive accidents, food poisoning, water source contamination, environmental damage, and so on... Such frequent mishaps made the Bloomriver family a headache for the imperial household.

Still, as they strictly observed taboos and the new head of the family, Sinir Bloomriver, was known for common sense, this eccentric family had managed to maintain its position among the higher nobility. The Bloomriver family, always immersed in eccentric magical research and referred to as the “Witch’s House”, had sent two students to the Sylvania Academy, the twin daughters of the head, Trissiana and Patricia Bloomriver.

Contrary to expectations that they would join the Alchemy Department, both of them entered the Magic Department, and, surprisingly, the elder Trissiana even secured the position of top student.

“Well, now the second-year top student Lucy Mayrill has reached an unbelievably high level and overshadowed her. Still, normally the traditional powerhouses of the Sylvania Academy were the fourth-year top students.”

Higher grade levels naturally meant higher student quality. It only made sense that among the top students, the level of fourth-year tops would be the highest. The only exception is the protagonist generation with their absurd average capabilities.

Combat Department top, Tyke Elfellan; Magic Department top, Trissiana Bloomriver; Alchemy Department top, Dorothy Whitepeltz. The letter that reached me was from Patricia Bloomriver, the twin sister of the currently reigning Magic Department top, Trissiana Bloomriver, for the fourth-year students.

I’ve already met two of the trio of fourth-year tops. Tyke Elfellan broke into a duel with Professor Krayd during the end-of-semester test as he was also the overall top student in the fourth year. His bear-like figure darting around with gauntlets was indeed a sight to remember.

And then there’s Dorothy Whitepeltz, whom I caught sight of while chasing after Professor Glast. She didn’t quite stand out, having been subdued by Yenika, but she’s a renowned member of the Whitepeltz family. She is the older sister of Joseph Whitepeltz, the top student of the Magic Department’s freshman year and effectively the ace of the Alchemy Department, also one of Professor Glast’s protégés.

However, the twin mages Trissiana and Patricia were entirely uncharted territory. Their names were long and a bit confusing, with not much significance in “Sylvania’s Failed Swordsman”.

Given their notorious background, I expected them to play a significant role, but their exit coincided with the climax of the scenario, and they graduated without receiving much spotlight. Therefore, I had to personally look into the character behind the ridiculous letter sent to me.

“Trissiana is well-known among fourth-year students to handle two advanced spells. Being the department’s top means something, especially as a fourth-year. It’s an astonishing level, indeed.”

“Hmm, I see.”

We were sitting at the student rest area in front of the student union. With numerous wooden tables lined up, this place is usually packed with students at any time.

However, during the bustling summer break, even the entire faculty building was quiet, and the area outside the student union was no different. Normally a competitive spot to secure, it was now quiet enough that it may as well be rented out entirely.

“Well, despite the many bad rumors about the Bloomriver family, they have made significant contributions to the field of alchemical experimentation. I’m quite aware of that.”

The person seated opposite me was Elvira Eniston, the top second-year student in the Alchemy Department. She was a student passionate about alchemy and magical engineering and was in charge of managing various reagents and magical equipment for the ‘protagonist generation’, led by Taely.

Her orange hair was in disarray, showing her lack of interest in personal appearance. Nonetheless, her sharp and somewhat mischievous face had a charming, devilish appeal.

“I know a lot about Trissiana, but I’m not so sure about Patricia. There are many rumors, yes.”

While the elder sister was a well-known year top and often appeared at public events, the younger sister who sent me the letter seemed more elusive, rarely attending classes it seems.

Elvira scanned the letter I provided, then squinted her eyes and scratched her chin several times.

“It came to your old address?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm...”

I met Elvira on my way to Gluckt Hall. Approaching a group engaged in some odd activity, I determined it was Elvira and her companions. Believing she would be well-versed about the Bloomriver family, closely associated with alchemy, I decided to take a moment to speak with her.

“Rumor has it that unlike her sister, Patricia buries herself in a corner of a research room and doesn’t come out. They say she doesn’t really attend theoretical classes but compensates with high scores in practical tests and self-studied tutorials.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Well, since Trissiana regularly attended classes... perhaps that’s the difference between a year top and not.”

Even with twins, there’s no guarantee they will both excel academically, but it seemed their innate scholarly abilities were similar.

“I’ve heard from others that Patricia isn’t interested in school gossip or updates; she just focuses on her research... A classic case of a shut-in.”

“...?”

“So maybe she’s still using your old contact information, unaware that you’ve been expelled from Ophelius Hall?”

“It’s been ages since I got kicked out of Ophelius Hall. How could she still not know?”

“It freaks me out a bit. She doesn’t even know about the student council president changing?”

As impossible as it seemed for someone attending the same school to be ignorant of external events, announcements for school events were normally made, and professors reiterated these in various classes. Despite this, the idea of not knowing any major school news seemed unrealistic.

“In truth, us from the alchemical background tend to have peculiar habits. There’s a sort of romantic fantasy of having a secret lab somewhere to conduct all sorts of experiments...”

Elvira spoke as if confessing a crime, squinting her eyes further. I was aware she had secretly set up a laboratory at the east cliffside.

“So, while the Alchemy Department does provide private labs in the underground facility, that’s sometimes not enough... If someone’s made a secret lab and holed up there...”

“But wouldn’t they have to attend classes? No one can just sit there 24/7, right?”

“That’s true, but...”

Elvira hinted there might be a new possibility, sheepishly smiling as she continued.

“Well, Trissiana and Patricia are twins, after all. To be honest, if you just change their hair color with magic, you can’t tell them apart.”

“... Are you suggesting Trissiana attended on behalf of both?”

Is that why her grades were so impressive? Because she essentially took some classes twice?

“Could one person even handle that?”

“That’s probably why she could secure the top spot. But it’s just a guess, just my speculation.”

Elvira folded the letter neatly and handed it back to me.

“Based only on the letter, Patricia seems to have a sense of justice. I mean, you shouldn’t just kidnap and imprison people.”

“Why are we assuming all this is true...?”

“Well, if necessary, it’s not unheard of to kidnap someone. Maybe you had your reasons?”

She spoke nonchalantly and blinked her half-closed eyes. Next to us, a youth had his arms tied behind his back, his eyes and mouth covered with cloth, thrashing about.

“Mmph! Mmph! Mmmph!”

The slim figure exuding an aura of gloom was Clevius Norton, known as a sword master in the Norton family.

“I’ve been trying to ignore this, but... I have to ask.”

“Yes?”

“Why is he like this here?”

Elvira sighed heavily, stroking her chin.

“I’m trying to make him into a person.”

“...”

“Listen, he’s still a mess. He keeps spouting gloom and picking fights with anyone who looks him in the eye. Remember the time he got unnecessarily loud and angry with you?”

I generally ignored Clevius’s aggressive language. In the original work, he was always like this: negative and depressing but still someone who pulled his weight when needed.

“Clevius needs to develop more social skills. He tries to slip into dark corners with lights off, chuckling to himself, muttering strange soliloquies.”

“...”

“He could be so graceful and impressive, such a waste. That’s why I take him along to parties, dress him nicely. Sometimes he gets an attack in the extroverted atmosphere and tries to escape, but I can easily subdue him because I have plenty of tranquilizer concoctions.”

As Clevius wriggled, the blindfold that covered his eyes slid down slightly. He locked eyes with me, sending a desperate plea for help.

“... How long will you keep this up?”

“Until he agrees to accompany me to the Alchemy Department’s dinner party next week.”

“Is it necessary for him to go?”

“It’s great for networking and unparalleled in training for social skills.”

I watched her for a long time with a bewildered look, but Elvira, undeterred, snorted.

“Besides, I’d like to bring along a strapping young man. I’m a woman, after all~.”

With a wide, playful grin, Elvira flicked her hair back. Clevius and I made eye contact again. His eyes were brimming with a plea for rescue.

“Just save me this once. I won’t be rude again. I won’t grab your collar without reason, I won’t snap, and I’ll respect you as a senior...”

He seemed to convey this sort of message.

Suddenly, magical energy surged around Patricia. It seems she’s going to assert her skills given the situation.

She probably wants to overwhelm me with power to claim control of the dialogue.

It’s unfortunate, but currently, I can’t use magic. I was about to reach for various magical tools in my possession when...

― Whooooosh!

The air seemed to split instantaneously.

The wind blew between me and Patricia, and someone else intervened.

The girl who appeared with the wind from a distance looked exactly like Patricia Bloomriver.

However, her eyes were gentler, and her hair had a bluish tint. Everything else was so similar to Patricia that someone seeing them for the first time might not distinguish them without the hair color difference.

Carrying a large staff and accompanied by wind, the girl instantly deployed a magic formation and destroyed all the magical spheres Patricia had conjured.

― Crash!

“Aah!”

― Whoosh!

Patricia barely managed to hold on to the handrail in the gusting wind.

The girl who had landed with the wind, Trissiana Bloomriver, a fourth-year honor student, was now looking back and forth between me and Patricia, clutching her academy coat tightly around her.

“Sister...! It’s good you’re here! This person...!”

Trissiana, with her blue hair, walked briskly towards Patricia, tugged on her earlobe, and then brought her over to me.

“Ow, ouch! Ow ow ow!”

“I’m sorry, my little sister can be quite thoughtless!”

“Sister! It hurts! Let go! Just listen to me!”

Trissiana pressed down hard on Patricia’s head, forcing her to apologize.

“Sorry about her. She jumps to conclusions too easily, but she’s really a good kid at heart!”

“Big sister! That’s not it! Big sister! That camp where he... There was that girl...!”

“Are you talking about the girl you cornered in Lortelle? Sure enough, I brought her with me! It’s not this man who kidnapped her, it’s you, Patricia!”

With that, as Trissiana wielded her magic, another wind arose, and a girl descended from the skies above Gluckt Tower.

The girl, with white hair and a white dress fluttering, looked familiar.

“...Merilda.”

Merilda started to speak then stopped herself. It seemed she didn’t want to reveal her identity as a spirit.

When wandering the academy, Merilda moved as a human. Clearly, she didn’t want to be exposed as a spirit, making it impossible for her to comfortably attend the academy as she had before.

A spirit’s voice carries a magical resonance, readily revealing their true nature.

Therefore, Merilda, in her human form, typically avoided speaking in the presence of strangers.

However, it seemed she had tried hard to explain that she wasn’t kidnapped, but Patricia, with limited empathic ability, must have misunderstood Merilda’s incomplete manifestation.

“You, you are...!”

Only then did Patricia look at Merilda in shock, but Merilda skipped towards me and hid behind my back.

Patricia alternated her gaze between my face and Merilda’s...

Then she hung her head deeply.

“I’m so sorry!!!!”

If only you had made swift judgments like this earlier.

*Patricia was punished, leaning against the bench corner with her arms raised.

“I received a letter from Lord Sinir. My mother rarely sends letters so hastily, so I was quite taken aback.”

Trissiana Bloomriver seemed strangely mature compared to Patricia.

Even though they look so similar, the atmosphere they exude is incredibly different.

“It seems that a significant event took place at the Rothtaylor family house. The news hasn’t reached Sylvania yet, but rumors will soon spread. It must have been a massive incident.”

Sinir Bloomriver was at the Rothtaylor residence during the tragedy.

With Ed Rothtaylor returning to the academy, she reported the news to her daughter in the academy via letter. The letter Trissiana held seemed to have just arrived.

“You seem unusually calm upon hearing the news, senior Trissiana.”

“I’m on your side, Ed Rothtaylor. Mother believes you wouldn’t have participated in the Rothtaylor family tragedy.”

Trissiana showed me the letter sent by Sinir, indicating her trust in me.

“If my mother believes that, then I should trust you, too. But once the news spreads, various rumors and opinions about you will emerge within the academy. After all, you were wearing the Rothtaylor name.”

“Will it affect me in any way?”

“We’ll see. Either way, I wanted to get to know you better, so it’s good to meet you. It looks like the fourth-year opinion will be favorable towards you.”

Trissiana sat on the edge of the bench, fiddling with her staff.

“I don’t know why, but Dex, head of the combat division, seems to really like you. A rare breed, hard to find these days. Dorothy, head of the alchemy division, seems to have some resentment, but it feels more like fear than dislike.”

“...”

“Just asking, did you do something to Yenika?”

“May I pass with no comment?”

“...Sure, I won’t pry. Patrin, straighten up.”

Ugh, groaned Patricia, as she straightened her hands. Seems her twin sister has quite the authority over her.

Maybe Patricia owes Trissiana a lot in many ways. The nickname ‘Patrin’ suggested as much...

“Anyway, since we’re all in the same boat, I’ll let you in on this. Our mother and head of the Bloomriver family, Sinir Bloomriver... has sided with Tanya Rothtaylor.”

I shuddered at those words and slowly turned my gaze to Trissiana.

It’s a family that wouldn’t be surprising if it were exterminated. It’s hard to believe they would align with such a family. Even though I’m from that family myself.

“Once the Rothtaylor mansion news officially hits, students from various families in the academy will start taking sides. When that time comes, you’ll need to distinguish who’s with you and who’s not.”

“I’m quite accustomed to receiving unfavorable looks.”

“It’s one thing for people to dislike you and another entirely to regard you as a traitor.”

I nodded in agreement to her statement.

“You can trust Dex, the fourth-year head. But I’m not sure about Atalante, the third-year head of alchemy, or Wade, the first-year head of combat. Their families are loyal to the royal family. They might act impulsively. Just like Patrin did today.”

“I understand. Thank you for the advice.”

“It’s not advice... just common sense. Well...”

Trissiana dusted off her clothes, stood up, and pulled Patricia’s cheek. After helping her sister up, she greeted me.

“Anyway, it’s a shame we got off to a bad start. See you again. Maybe... during the next combat practice or during a joint lesson.”

As I nodded, Trissiana took Patricia and disappeared into the distance. She seemed like a dependable senior who promised to be an ally.

“Now that’s done... I should probably hear what really happened...”

After waving off the two mages, I turned around.

Merilda stood there awkwardly, avoiding my gaze.

*