Chapter 183

Chapter 183

Ed’s Subjugation War (6)

“Zix.”

Taely spoke first, her voice coolly subdued.

Zix Effelstein, seated in a corner of the second-floor corridor, had been quietly waiting for Taely. They had been quite close friends, their mutual respect for each other’s abilities forged through dueling episodes since the first act, and Zix had always looked upon Taely’s rapid growth with fondness.

As a master duelist and joint second in command of the sophomore magic department, Zix is a figure of considerable prowess. Early in their freshman year, Zix was so far beyond Taely’s abilities that any comparison seemed impossible, but now Taely had ascended into the ranks of the grade’s top fighters.

Nevertheless, a gap remained between Taely and Zix. The Sword Saint’s ceremony had not been fully realized, and the dueling experience Zix had accumulated since before even entering Sylvania was overwhelming.

“Why are you here?”

“For the very reason you’re imagining.”

Zix Effelstein was now fully aligned with Ed Rothtaylor. The sight of him quietly sitting among various weapons made it clear.

Zix Effelstein had no intention of letting Taely through. He was prepared to use force if necessary.

Zix Effelstein, ever the reliable second in command, always acted based on common sense.

Taely, unable to believe that such a stalwart boy had sided with Ed Rothtaylor, trembled with her sword in hand.

“Why?”

Zix responded casually to a visibly flustered Taely.

“Why think it strange now? I am part of the student council, following the instructions of President Tanya Rothtaylor.”

Even as a member of the student council, Zix Effelstein was known to refuse actions he believed to be wrong. Even the authority of student council president Tanya Rothtaylor wasn’t absolute over him.

Zix’s actions surely involved his own volition.

“Isn’t it not so strange to be somewhat cooperative with her brother, Ed Rothtaylor?”

“Aila’s been captured.”

“I know.”

Taely’s pupils dilated at the curt reply.

Silent and motionless, Zix sat unaffected.

Even knowing every fact, his firm resolve was evident in just looking at Taely.

Taely took a deep breath, clutching her sword hilt tightly. Her head cleared and reason returned. She had already crossed blades with Elvira and Clevius.

She couldn’t hesitate any longer; there was no time to spare.

It had been a while since Taely entered Elte’s Trade Association. The nature of what was unfolding inside remained unknown.

“You’re badly wounded, Taely.”

On the contrary, Zix was genuinely perplexed.

He had expected Taely to have fought Elvira on the first floor, but her condition seemed worse than imagined. Taely was bleeding significantly from her brawl with Clevius, resembling someone who had been through a life-or-death duel.

It was hard to imagine that even a serious confrontation with Elvira would have inflicted such wounds.

Given the situation, Zix hesitated internally. Given Taely’s condition, reaching Ed Rothtaylor’s camp seemed nearly impossible.

Should he just duel lightly and let her go? But then it struck him.

Up on the third floor awaited an inexplicably enraged Yenika Faelover.

Her spirit magic had almost no weaknesses. It seemed even less likely that she would hold back given her current mood.

If Taely faced Yenika Faelover in this battered state... The outcome was unpredictable.

Ed Rothtaylor set this stage to gauge the true extent of Taely’s capabilities when she was earnestly pushed to her limits.

The reason for his curiosity was unclear, but if Ed Rothtaylor was this proactive, there must be a valid explanation.

If the trial was the goal... Taely need not breach the entire building. Merely testing her strength would suffice.

Instead, sending her to face a seemingly dangerous Yenika might result in greater harm.

Thus, it seemed better for Taely if he subdued her here and now.

At the very least, Zix Effelstein was ready to lay down arms if he felt Taely was in danger.

With this thought, he grasped his spear. It was the moment he lifted his body from the wooden chair.

– Clang!

Taely’s sword strike was decisive; there was nothing to be gained from delay.

As a reflex, Zix parried Taely’s sword with his spear shaft, which now quivered with added force.

Taely glared directly into Zix’s eyes, her own wide open.

– Whoosh!

– Clang!

Zix kicked the lower part of his spear, spinning it and dislodging Taely’s sword, which slid away.

In an instant, Zix contorted his body, attempting to strike Taely’s back with his spear, but she was already gone.

“...?”

Zix swiftly adjusted his stance, collecting his weapons. Unexpectedly, Taely was nowhere to be found.

A quick scan of the surroundings deepened the furrows in his brow. He had lost track of Taely’s position.

The place Zix missed... was directly above.

– Whooosh!

“If Lortelle Keheln regains control of the association, we’re all dead! Everything must be settled tonight! Understand?! It’s not just about me, but all of us—”

*** End of transmission ***

(Note: The translation sections provided have been edited for a smoother reading experience, aiming to retain the original text’s intensity and emotions.)

“Everyone’s life hangs by a thread tonight!”

All the employees swallowed dryly and nodded. Durin slammed the window shut and gnawed at his nails inside the carriage.

– Whoosh!

The entrance hall of the Sylvania Academy, leading to the Mekses Bridge, is located inside the living quarters. It’s a mere moment by carriage.

After setting up an action plan for the remaining employees at the trading company, Durin reached the entrance hall and hastily dismounted from the carriage.

Dawn was nearing its end. Although the sky was overcast as if a shower was imminent, it seemed unlikely to last long.

In any case, the sun would soon rise. He wanted to control the situation before then.

The entrance hall, with its neat brick floor and rows of trees, was usually bustling with students, but it was sinisterly quiet at this late hour.

Durin dashed out and saw a magnificent carriage at the entrance leading to the Mekses Bridge. It seemed to be processing the entry formalities into Acken Island.

“They’ve come...! It’s Princess Phoenia’s carriage...!”

The Sylvania Academy generally prohibits the entry of private soldiers.

No matter how noble the family, students can’t parade their soldiers within the academy walls. Otherwise, the academy would become a playground for private armies.

Only a select few, like Princess Phoenia and Saintess Clarice, are allowed to have private soldiers. After all, one can’t well impose restrictions on the princess of a nation and the saintess of the holy city.

However, even they minimize their escort in consideration of the school’s regulations. Significant numbers of private soldiers only enter when escorting the princess back to school during vacations.

It’s a scale of troops seldom seen within Sylvania.

But the escort was unusually large. There had to be an escort dispatched by Persica seeking to capture Lortelle.

Durin smiled and ran towards the convoy.

“Halt! This carriage is carrying Her Imperial Highness, Princess Phoenia Elias Clorel of the Clorel Empire!”

One of the guards managing the area shouted at Durin.

“I am Durin Grecks of Elte Trading Company! I have come with a message for the escort of this carriage!”

“What? A merchant? What could a merchant possibly have to say to the royal guard...”

“We’ll take it from here.”

Halting the stern-looking guard, a soldier in a different colored armor stepped forth.

“I’ve heard all about it. I am Tune of the Rose Palace’s Third Squad, a knight directly under Princess Persica.”

A red-haired woman removed her helmet and spoke. She was the royal escort Durin had been so eagerly waiting for.

The guard who attempted to stop Durin gaped in surprise at Tune’s face, having been in the dark about such a figure mixing in with the escort ranks. Tune was the fourth in command in the royal knight order, following the commander, the vice-commander, and the senior training officer.

“We’ve received prior notice. Princess Persica has ordered us to find a merchant named Durin Grecks upon our arrival at Acken Island.”

“That’s me.”

“Indeed. However, I did not expect you to come out to meet us at the entrance hall at such a late hour.”

“The situation is urgent. Elte Trading Company is in chaos. It’s imperative that Lortelle Keheln be transported under your custody immediately.”

Durin spoke with urgency.

“There’s evidence of her embezzlement in the Northern Forest camp. If Lortelle Keheln isn’t captured immediately, she’ll flee. We secured the suspect at our company, but due to an incident, she has escaped!”

No matter how it had happened, handing over Lortelle to the escort was the top priority.

Durin tried to convey the urgency, emphasizing how time was of the essence.

“That is... certainly an urgent situation. But before we capture a criminal, we need to assess the scene.”

“You can verify it yourself if you head straight to the camp! The situation has already become quite complicated. Ed Rothtaylor of the Rothtaylor family is manipulating the escape. It’s possible... he is involved too! If we do nothing...”

It was in that moment as Durin was exclaiming.

– Creak

Durin’s goal wasn’t Princess Phoenia, but the royal escort accompanying her.

For Princess Phoenia was merely returning to school, irrelevant to this incident.

However... events began to unfold in a direction Durin had not anticipated.

“Who’s there?”

The name that sprang from Durin’s mouth... reached the ears of the noble Third Princess of the Clorel Empire, Phoenia Elias Clorel.

The carriage door, which he thought would have been securely closed, opened, and the princess of a nation stepped out.

Academy staff and nearby knights all knelt and lowered their heads as the process was being attended to.

The dignity of Princess Phoenia descending from the majestic carriage... was so immense that the commoners nearby were not permitted even to lift their heads.

“This is Acken Island, and I’ve returned as a Sylvania student.”

Princess Phoenia spoke in a calm voice.

“You don’t have to be so formal anymore.”

In the academic land of Sylvania...

**[Truncated due to space limitations; feel free to provide additional segments for translation if needed]**