Damn Academy - Chapter 237

Chapter 237

Claridyum (4)

The Light Magic Sword isn’t suitable in this situation. Its destructive power would cause too much damage no matter where it is unleashed.

My throat feels parched, as if it’s burning. At this rate, the Skyship will crash head-on into the temple standing a block away and possibly demolish several more buildings.

The height of the Skyship decreases, ruthlessly scraping the roofs of the buildings lined up along the street. This has somewhat slowed it down, but it’s still not enough.

Debris from the scraped roofs falls towards a young girl staring blankly at the sky.

Just as I’m about to leap, Lilith darts past me, embracing the child and slamming into the ground. A semicircular barrier unfolds, blocking the debris.

Everything is happening so quickly that it’s hard to think clearly.

Someone on the Skyship shouts. A crew member, precariously balanced on the ship’s railing, waves his arms, signaling to the people on the ground.

“It’s out of control!”

This indicates that it wasn’t a planned attack by an insider.

The racing Skyship bounces off a roof, causing it to lurch. A crew member is flung into the air, landing on a building’s roof.

“Ahhh!”

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It’s a breathtaking moment that unfolds in an instant.

I instinctively channel magic into Priscilla and swing it. As if reading my intent, Priscilla releases a short burst of frost along the sword’s trajectory.

The crew member, who was sliding off the roof, is struck by the frost and freezes in place, effectively immobilized.
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Calios’s teaching about communing with the Magic Sword finally resonates with me.

I continue running alongside the Skyship. It casts shadows over the citizens’ heads, prompting them to scream piercingly.

Some people in the Skyship’s flight path throw potions. The bottles shatter, and the vines inside swell rapidly. It seems they intended to stop the Skyship.

Crunch. Thud-thud-thud.

The vines latch onto the hull but are all torn away. It’s far from enough to stop the overwhelming weight and momentum.

I focus again, swinging Priscilla with the sensation of releasing a shockwave. Frost surges and directly strikes the underside of the Skyship. Ice clings to the roof and the hull’s base, attempting to decelerate it, but it shatters instantly.

Growing desperate, I quietly mutter, “Priscilla, more, just a bit more.”

Priscilla seems to read my thoughts and absorbs more magic.

I grit my teeth and endure the dizziness threatening to overwhelm me.

“Just a bit more. Just a bit more.”

With a do-or-die mindset, I forced more magic into Priscilla than she was absorbing. Priscilla, as if she were choking, bursts with frost. The rapid depletion of magic almost causes me to collapse while running.

I regain my balance and watch the Skyship. The arm holding Priscilla begins to tremble like an earthquake.

The Skyship charges toward the spire standing tall in the temple’s center.

Just before collision.

“Damn, please work.”

I swung Priscilla with all my might. A storm of blue frost emitted from the Magic Sword rushes toward the spire at a ferocious speed. I swung with so much force that I lost my balance and fell.

Th i s w a s c op ie d f r o m k in gmt l .o r g
Boom!

The Skyship collides head-on with the spire and collapses. The bell attached to the spire arcs through the air with a deafening sound, flying far away.

Simultaneously, the frost wave directly hits the Skyship that pierced the spire. Everything in contact with it becomes covered in frost.

The ship, which had been sliding after destroying the spire, freezes abruptly, as if it were smeared with wax. Finally, the Skyship’s rampage ceases.

“Huff, huff, huff.”

My heart pounds violently, showing no signs of calming down.
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The Skyship, along with the debris, is frozen as if time has stopped at the moment of collision.

My arm aches, and I feel drained. I kneel on one knee, unable to move for a while.

Surveying the citizens, there are no severe injuries, only minor ones.

The Guardians rush over, blowing warning horns and quickly evacuate the nearby citizens.

“We have debris remaining. Please don’t stand near the walls! Move to an open area!”

“Reinforce the Skyship’s support structures below! Quickly, throw the vine potions!”

The Guardians move like the busiest people in the world. My role seems to be over.

I checked the positions of the members.

Lilith was hugging a young, unnamed girl around six years old, while Haley led the members out of a building. Jenia, like me, had created a shield on the roof using ice magic. True to the students of a capable academy, they didn’t cower in an emergency.

Realizing the loud noise had ceased, the citizens slowly got to their feet. They looked up with frightened faces.

And when they saw the Skyship precariously docked on the spire, they opened their mouths in disbelief.

“What happened?”

“Frozen?”

“A wizard? Is it magic?”

They all began to whisper, their eyes wide with surprise.

Soon, they started turning their attention to me, resting in the middle of the road. Some looked on with reverence, others with curiosity. The attention felt uncomfortable.

Priscilla quivered continuously. Fearing attention on the Magic Sword, I tightly gripped the handle.

Priscilla’s emotions were conveyed to me. It was hostility and an unknown anxiety about others. Could it be that the unfamiliar gazes of strangers had unnerved it?

Some of the Guardians watching the situation hurriedly ran towards me.

They offered a light thanks and said, “Thanks to your efforts, we avoided a major disaster. Under the Raul Law, anyone who significantly contributes to Claridyum’s security or disaster response can claim a reward from the authorities. If you come to the Rosewood Assembly Hall in the central administrative district, we’ll assess your contribution and provide an appropriate reward.”

Money. A neat reward system befitting a famous metropolis.

“We apologize for not being able to provide detailed guidance due to a shortage of personnel for cleanup.”

“It’s fine.”

“And given the special disaster situation, there will definitely be additional rewards once the report reaches the higher-ups. Well then.”

The Guardians nodded to me before quickly departing to handle the situation. Although I wanted to investigate the accident’s cause right away, now’s not the time, as the chaos hasn’t settled. Since a graduated senior is a Guardian, I’ll probably hear about the accident’s details later.

Fortunately, this incident didn’t turn into a catastrophe. It wasn’t like a large magic bomb was installed inside the Skyship or that it charged towards the city council at the city’s center. There’s no apparent connection to the impending disaster yet. Perhaps my intuition was just an overreaction.

“You damned Damian!”

Jenia and Haley shouted as they approached me. They called me by my name rather than “newbie,” probably due to heightened emotions.

Jenia, her face flushed, said, “When you rushed out like that, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. How could you be so fearless!”

“My body just moved on its own.”

“Yes, you were cool and did well, so just take a little beating!”

Jenia expressed her affection through a few playful thumps with her hand.

Haley noticed the crowd’s attention on us and whispered to me, “We’ll spread the rumor with Rosalyn senior that it’s the power of an Enchanted Sword and Artifact. Hide the fact that it’s a Magic Sword as much as possible. Although those in the know will figure it out, anyway. Everyone’s watching, so don’t act like you’re hiding. It’ll look more suspicious. Smile and greet them.”

Haley likely realized my sword was a Magic Sword, yet she remained composed and handled the situation calmly.

“…Alright.”

I gave a slight nod to the onlookers.

Haley waved to the spectators and nudged me with her hip, signaling me to do the same.

Following her lead, I waved my hand. The onlookers murmured among themselves. Some even applauded us.

“Newbie seems to attract the ladies’ gazes.”

“…”
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Soon after, Lilith joined us. She was holding the hand of the young girl she had saved.

Jenia glanced at her and remarked, “…What? Is that a sister you were hiding?”

“I asked her where her parents were, but, um…”

Lilith trailed off. Her face suggested there was more to her story.

Jenia frowned briefly and then smiled at the child.

“Hey there, where are your parents?”

“…I don’t have any.”
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“Where’s your home?”

The child shook her head.

“Is there no one worried about you?”

“…No.”

Jenia rolled her eyes, seemingly at a loss.
Th i s w a s co pi e d f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g

“Then, would you like to play with the sisters?”

The child innocently nodded.

Jenia picked up the child and said, “Let’s stay with her and then hand her over to the Guardian. Let’s go, the festival’s over.”
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“But, is no one hurt?”

Hardly had she spoken when the Guardians rushed past us, carrying people on stretchers. A man in Skyship crew attire was on the stretcher.

Seeing that, we had to quell our slightly buoyant spirits.

Haley turned her head away. Jenia shielded the child’s eyes.

The man’s face was so mangled it was unrecognizable, indicating he had been in an accident.

***

Rosalyn picked up the pace as she guided us. We ascended a gentle slope towards the city center. The further we went, the denser the city became, and the narrower the roads got. Each building had its own distinctive banners. Magic stones lit the cramped streets. It felt as if we were tiny people passing between the legs of giants, as sunlight never reached these parts.

Despite the high expectations, the ill-fated events on the first day left everyone with grim expressions.

Rosalyn said, “Sorry, everyone. Even though I got special permission to be with you, something came up, so I’ll have to just show you to your lodgings and then leave. I wanted to chat with you all night, but I’m sorry.”

At a place where a tall iron fence separated areas of the city, guards stopped us. Once Rosalyn showed them a pass, they allowed us through.

Having crossed that section, the buildings became taller and more luxurious. The central city council building loomed even closer.

“This central administrative area is relatively safe. It’s safe enough that a woman can wander around drunk by herself.”

Haley asked, “Senior, is the art club budget enough for this?”

“It’s a professor’s residence. We got special permission from the city council.”

“…Do you need the city council’s permission to get lodgings? It’s a professor’s residence?”

“Technically, it’s Professor Silveryn’s house. The city provided it as a reward for a commission three years ago, but she only stayed for two days and six hours and never used it again. It’s been left as an empty house, becoming a burden for the city. You can probably guess why we were given permission.”

Jenia and Haley glanced at me. I had no idea why they were looking at me.

Rosalyn stopped in front of a large mansion with a stone wall.

“Here we are.”

The mansion had a small garden and a fence. Some members craned their necks to peek through the mansion’s windows, but they couldn’t see anything inside because it was dark.

Rosalyn unlocked the gate latch and stepped inside. She beckoned us to follow. She rummaged through her pocket and unlocked the main door with a large key. Jenia nudged me with her waist, looking up with anticipation. Soon, Rosalyn swung the double doors of the mansion wide open.

Inside, it was pitch black.

“Oh, I’ll do it.”

Jenia conjured a lamp with magic and slowly floated it forward. The interior gradually brightened. What we first saw was our own reflection.

A mirror. In the spacious, unfurnished foyer stood a massive mirror. A faded brass chandelier dangled from the ceiling, and behind it was only darkness. Our figures were clearly reflected in the mirror. A strange and unpleasant sensation as if something were watching us, crept in.

Jenia and Haley each made a remark.

“What’s with the atmosphere? Feels like a ghost could pop out.”
T h i s wa s c o p ie d fr om k in g mt l . o r g

“Well, it was an empty house for years.”

Rosalyn, looking at the mirror, suddenly cursed.

“What filthy vermin! There’s something that deserves to be killed!”

Jenia and Haley, startled, asked, “Senior, what’s wrong? Why so scary?”

Rosalyn didn’t stop, venting her fury further.

“Something that’s worth being minced to death!”

“Senior, are you okay?”

“No, that mirror! It wasn’t there when I inspected it. Which bastard put it there?”

Unable to contain her anger, she threw the keys to the ground and paced around the foyer.

“What’s wrong with the mirror, senior?”

Rosalyn, still fuming, said, “Placing a mirror to reflect the entrance is an absolute taboo in Claridyum, no matter what!”

“…What?”
T h i s wa s c op ie d fr om k i n g m t l. or g

“It’s one of the worst curse rituals aimed at both the homeowner and visitors! Who would do such a thing?”

End of Chapter