Damn Academy - Chapter 236

Chapter 236

Claridyum (3)

I was wandering in a dream.

My body was paralyzed, unable to move, as if I were experiencing sleep paralysis.

“On a summer day, that man—”

A woman’s singing voice came from the mist.

The voice was clear and beautiful, but the pitch and rhythm were not particularly good.

Could this be a nightmare? A chilling sensation lingered by my ear.

Gradually, my mind became clearer, and soon I woke up.

Jenia was sitting by my bedside, singing into my ear.

“Met a country maiden—”

“Senior?”

“You’re finally awake. Did you know we’re almost there?”

I tried to move, but I couldn’t. It turned out I was tied up with ropes.

“There was a storm last night, so we tied everyone up, not just you.”

“….”

“How about it, having such a sexy siren wake you up? Seems like you’re mesmerized.”

“Senior… are you tone-deaf?”

“What?”

Thi s w as c o p i e d fro m k i n g mt l . o r g
“…”

T h is w a s c o pi e d f r o m k i n g m tl . o rg
Jenia’s face immediately twisted with annoyance. She slapped my arm hard and said, “I’m not tone-deaf!”
T h is w a s cop i e d f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g

Then she ran out of the cabin, stomping.

It’s good that they tied us for safety, but shouldn’t they untie us too? Being tied to the bed made me feel like a prisoner being transported to a remote island.

Soon after, Lilith opened the door and came in. As soon as she entered, she seemed taken aback by the smell and covered her nose with her hand.

“Ugh…”

“…”

I completely understood her reaction. The cabin where the boys were staying was unventilated and filled with the salty sea air, humidity, and the scent of teenage boys who hadn’t bathed for three days. It must be unbearable for girls with sensitive noses.

Lilith peeked in from the doorway, surveying the sleeping faces, and when she spotted me, she hurried over.

“I’ll untie you.”

“Are we there?”

“Almost.”

Lilith paused untying the ropes and opened the cabin door wide for ventilation before returning.

“It smells in here.”

“It’s not my smell.”

Lilith commented slyly, “Hmm… Damian, you have the strongest man smell.”

“…”

Then she leaned closer to my chest and sniffed as if trying to confirm something.

“…Yeah, it’s the strongest.”

Then she resumed untying the knots.

I was about to make excuses, saying it was inevitable after not bathing for three days, but seeing Lilith, that thought vanished.

Her skin was pristine, hair and face fresh without any haggardness, and she exuded a subtle floral scent. Even though we hadn’t bathed, she remained as pristine as a noble lady from the first day, as if by magic.

Lilith sniffed my body again, seemingly trying to confirm something.

“…?”

Her lips twitched as if suppressing laughter. Why was she doing this?

“Can you untie the others too, Damian?”

Lilith finished untying me and quickly retreated.

After getting up and tidying the bedclothes, I noticed my clothes, which I had taken off beside the bed, were missing. They must have slid off somewhere due to the ship’s movement during the night.

When I climbed onto the deck, the sky welcomed me with a vivid blue, like it had been painted.

The members were admiring the land that had appeared after three days at sea, gazing at the distant landscape.

“Wow.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the view of Claridyum, the city of magic.

T h i s w a s c o pie d fr om k i ng m t l . o r g
It was exactly as I had seen in the books. A city clustered in a conical shape, as if carved out of a mountain. Buildings stretched upwards like stairs on the hillside. White stone and roofs with a shimmering bronze hue stood irregularly yet harmoniously.

On the roofs of every building were unique magical devices spinning like weather vanes. The colorful smoke rising from chimneys was a sight one wouldn’t see in a city devoid of magic.

In the city’s central highland was a white building, shooting skyward like an inverted stake, which served as the city council, handling administrative matters.

And at the harbor, a massive bronze-colored floodgate loomed. It was grand enough to accommodate ten ships at once.

As everyone was marveling, Haley stood alone, bent over the railing, looking down.

Curious about what was wrong, I approached her. Up close, I realized she was merely laughing so hard that she couldn’t stand upright.

“Ah… haha, hehehe.”

“Senior?”

“Oh newbie, oh, I’m dying, did you really call Jenia tone-deaf?”

“…Yes.”

Haley was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

“Jenia is upset now! Oh… I can’t believe it. Haha, hahaha.”

“Was it a mistake?”

She caught her breath with difficulty and said, “Hey, who’d like being told they’re tone-deaf after trying to wake up a favorite junior by singing? Haha. Well, she is tone-deaf, though.”

I didn’t understand why it was so funny. Maybe it was a part of the women’s humor code? That song had given me nightmares.

Jenia sat alone on the steps leading to the bow with her chin resting on her hand and a sulking expression.
T h is w as c o p ie d f r om k i n gmt l . o r g

Haley finally regained her composure and shouted loudly, “Hey everyone, we’ll have a pre-inspection soon, so look presentable. Don’t act suspiciously! We’re representing Eternia, okay?”

Our ship slowly approached the majestic gate. The gate was so enormous that our entire ship was cast in its shadow.

Soon, a boat carrying three men rowed towards us from the control room of the gate.

After the sailor lowered a ladder, the men boarded our deck.

They wore crisp, white uniforms that looked and smelled new, and short swords were strapped to their waists. They appeared to be in their twenties.

The first man who boarded had a stern expression, but the other two, upon seeing the girls aboard, had grins spread across their faces. They whispered to each other loudly enough for us to hear.

“Isn’t this an Imperial ship?”

“Was Eternia an all-girls school?”

The man with the stern expression cleared his throat, cutting off their whispers.

Haley stepped forward and spoke in a refined voice that was different from her usual demeanor.

“It’s an honor to meet the Guardians of the greatest city, Claridyum. I am Haley, the student representative of the Eternia delegation.”

Th i s w a s c o p ie d from ki n gm t l . org
She lifted her skirt slightly and offered a graceful bow.

The men also straightened their backs and saluted with precise movements.

“It’s a great honor to meet talents from Eternia.”

“I heard that the list of our Eternia delegation and other documents were officially submitted to the city council in the name of Erzebet Tears, and prior approval was granted.”

“That’s correct. This is just a formal procedure, and we will be leaving shortly. Please wait while the gate opens; it will take some time.”

The guardians of Claridyum were called Guardians. I heard that they were not a direct organization under the city council but a private organization funded by the council, the merchants’ guild, and some noble families.

Despite being responsible for maintaining order, their attire emphasized dignity rather than functionality, suggesting they were not inclined towards using force.
T h i s w a s c o p i ed f r o m k i n g mt l . o r g

After the Guardians left, the huge gears connected to the gate began to move with a menacing sound.

The gate slowly opened, and the shadow cast on the ship gradually receded.

Before us lay a vibrant view of the harbor, filled with seagulls and colorful ships representing various nations.

I was so captivated by the magnificent scenery that I completely forgot this city was on the brink of disaster for a while.

As the ship docked, we hurriedly gathered our belongings. I strapped Priscilla to my waist, ready to go.

With the deck and land connected, the members waddled down the gangway with their bags.

When Jenia came out carrying a bag as big as herself, I quickly approached her.

“Senior, let me carry that.”

“No, thanks.”

Ignoring Jenia’s annoyance, I snatched the bag and carried it to the shore instead. It was much more effective to help her like this than to apologize a hundred times. It was something I had learned through long experience.

T h i s w a s c o p i ed f r om ki ng mt l . o r g
Jenia placed her hands on her hips and blew out a breath.

“Seriously. So annoying.”

A stranger was waiting for us on the shore.

With long black hair, she was a Guardian wearing a white uniform, slightly shorter than Silveryn but tall for a woman.

“Rosalyn!”

Haley hugged her like a long-lost family member.

“Haley, is that really you? How long has it been? That little chick Haley has grown so much?”

From their conversation, I guessed… she might be a senior who graduated from Eternia a long time ago. Come to think of it, we were told a senior would guide us here.

“I’m the art club leader now.”

Jenia subtly nudged Lilith and me forward, pushing us to the front.

“How did the art club come here as a group? Did the dance and drama clubs mess up big time and collapse or something?”

Jenia subtly intervened.

“These two new members played a big part!”

Caught off guard, Lilith and I stepped forward to receive Rosalyn’s welcome.

She looked at me with wide eyes and said, “So you’re the remarkable newcomer, Damian? I’ve heard about you from Haley. Silveryn’s prized student. An enemy to all wizards due to jealousy, right?”

“…That’s right.”

“I also took a class taught by Professor Silveryn when she was on the faculty.”

“How was it?”

She smiled meaningfully.

“Legendary. The boys were all so crazy about her, they didn’t care about girls their own age.”

“That makes sense.”

Silveryn is someone who naturally commands that level of popularity.

“I’m really curious why she chose you. I mean, purely out of curiosity, not in a bad way.”

“Actually, it’s more like she just took me in temporarily rather than me being a full student.”

She winked at me and said, “That’s what I’m curious about. Let’s chat about it later in private.”

“…Understood.”

“And our mayor practically worships archmages, so he’ll be very interested in you.”

***

We had our luggage moved to our accommodations by workers, and we followed Rosalyn to our destination.

As Rosalyn led us, she gave us some words of caution.
T h is w as c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l .o r g

“Never take a first-class carriage, even if it looks nice; they always rip you off. Also, avoid the free development zone on the outskirts of the city; there are lots of vagrants, homeless people, and pickpockets.”

During our walk, a carriage sped past us on a narrow road.

“Ah!”

Some of the girls squealed in surprise.

The carriage was pulled not by horses but by a tin-like doll resembling a Plantara.

Rosalyn explained, “That’s a Vintera. It’s modeled after the Plantara, but it’s weaker and much dumber. Unfortunately, there’s no magic in the soil of Claridyum, so it needs a separate power source, and the magic stones that serve as fuel are rare and expensive, so its efficiency is low. It won’t be commercialized unless a trade agreement with the dwarves is reached.”

Haley asked, “Then the person riding in it must be wealthy?”

“Yes, probably someone from one of Claridyum’s four great families. And never stand next to a Vintera on a rainy day; its power source attracts lightning, so it’s dangerous.”

Jenia asked, “Where are we going?”

“We’re heading to the Street of Light. You’re really lucky. There’s going to be a big launch ceremony there.”

“But the harbor is already far behind us?”

Rosalyn smiled meaningfully.

“This isn’t an ordinary launch ceremony.”

***

The Street of Light was a boulevard lined with shops and a crossroad. The shopping districts were decorated with multicolored stained glass. Unfamiliar banners and giant metal gears hung on the walls. The street was packed with citizens who came to watch the launch ceremony and Guardians maintaining order.

I saw children on rocking horses and nobles murmuring in a language I couldn’t understand. All their eyes were fixed on the blue sky. What exactly were they waiting for at this launch ceremony?

In the center of the street, a banner praising magic was displayed.

The city was so full of life that it made me wonder if Amarylis was wrong this time.

T h i s w a s c opied f r o m k i n g m t l .or g
The excitement was so overwhelming that I felt like I was being suffocated. My hairs stood on end, and a strange discomfort churned my stomach.

Then someone in the crowd shouted, “Oh, it’s coming, it’s coming!”

Fingers pointed towards the sky.

Soon, a massive object appeared from behind a distant spire.

“It’s a Skyship!”

“What?”

I was so surprised that I shouted out loud.

It was a ship floating in the sky.

It unfurled its sails and fluttered its swan-like wings as it gracefully navigated through the air.

Thunderous cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.

Wait, that’s a Skyship. Is that what Luna wanted me to buy as a souvenir? It can’t be, right?

“….”

Someone tugged at my clothes from behind.

I turned around to find Jenia standing there.

“What do you see?”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t see anything. I’m too short.”

I turned my back to her and crouched down.

“Get on.”

“What are you doing?”

“Get on my shoulders.”

“Do I look like a child?”

“It’s better than missing out.”

Jenia hesitated for a moment before finally climbing onto my shoulders.

I stood up, holding onto her legs. Jenia sighed.

“Ugh, my crotch…”

“Senior…”

I was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to put her down.

Jenia patted my head and said, “I read a line like this in the novel Haley brought, so I wanted to try it.”

“Can you see better now?”

Priscilla, hanging at my waist, suddenly trembled. The blue light flickered inside the sheath as if it wanted to say something.

“I can see well. But hey, newbie. That thing looks strange.”

Jenia pointed.

The Skyship, which had been flying smoothly, was now tilted at an angle.

The crowd, too, sensed something was wrong and began to murmur.

It wasn’t just tilted; it was gradually losing altitude. Like a sled sliding down a slope, it was unable to control its speed and was rapidly descending diagonally through the air.

At this rate, it could crash into the city. No, judging by the alarming speed, a crash seemed inevitable. If such a large ship crashed, several buildings would collapse in succession.

I hurriedly set Jenia down.

Soon, gasps and screams filled the air. As it got closer, the trajectory of the fall became clearer. Worse, the Skyship was heading straight for the Street of Light where we were standing.

The place descended into chaos. Terrified people pushed, fell, and got trampled. The Guardians were powerless against the sudden development.

“Run away!”

Rosalyn shouted loudly. Haley quickly ushered the members into nearby shops.

I stood in place, staring blankly at the plummeting ship. My mind was racing. Perhaps this accident was one of the omens of the impending doom.

Haley shouted, “Damian! What are you doing?”

My heart raced wildly. Judging by the trajectory, it would pass over our heads. The exact point of impact was not where we stood.

I began running towards the expected collision point.

“Hey! Damian!”

Suddenly, the sky darkened above the street. A massive ship soared overhead, slicing through the sky.

Vwoom—

The gust of wind from the ship swept through the street, knocking down fleeing people and shattering windows.

In the ship’s path stood a building as grand as a temple and a towering bell tower.

And beneath it were people who hadn’t managed to escape. Leaving them as they were would surely mean their deaths under the debris of the building.

Realizing I couldn’t catch up by running, I quickly drew Priscilla.

End of Chapter