NOVEL WEB Chapter 58 - The Shadow Hidden Behind Gold☆ (2)
Vice President Sieglinde of the
“…”
Around her, subordinates were moving, relaying signals through hand signs and flags according to orders.
Swish―!
Swish―!
Sieglinde’s final order was… a retreat order.
“…”
Following President Brunhilde’s orders, she had been tasked with maintaining the front line as much as possible… but the situation was not good. The offensive of the snake-tattooed students showing unexpectedly overwhelming attack power was fierce.
Moreover, President Brunhilde was currently holding off
Rumble―!!
Sieglinde looked with admiring eyes at the dozens of lightning bolts pouring down from far away.
The sound of thunder ringing in her ears was clear.
The power of the student Sieglinde respected and the lord she had pledged loyalty to.
Until the ruler of the academy city arrived, she had to make the best judgment.
‘If we assume the president will return after stopping Frau, recklessly expending troops here would be a bad move. We need to buy time.’
Assuming there was no intrusion by [Unique Ether] level ability users.
She thought preserving this force as much as possible was the best judgment.
‘Reports of
It was an extremely difficult urban battle. The front lines were dividing, and the forces of
The appearance of
‘The pretense of the ‘Academy City Alliance’ that had continued meaninglessly just from old times… will now end.’
Sieglinde thought that if this battle ended… her ‘former school’ might disappear into history.
“…”
Where Sieglinde’s gaze was directed.
Students from
-Seven and eight, block entry!
-Eleven and fourteen, disrupt from behind!
-Remaining teams in chain link formation―!! Move at quick march―!!
-Move―!!
-Move―!!
Voices shouting with veins bulging in their necks.
Class leaders commanding at least 30 students from each combat department shouted instructions while drawing up ether. They moved swiftly while maintaining formations ingrained in their unconscious through countless training sessions.
Thud thud thud thud―!
Quickly acknowledging they had been pushed back, they retreated to the rear to conserve forces as much as possible.
Then the beastkin noble faction students, drunk on power and charging recklessly, were flustered.
“Ch-Chase them!!”
“Don’t let them escape!!”
“We have to finish this completely today!!”
Black uniforms quickly disappearing from the street in front of the gate.
The beastkin noble faction students urgently chased after them.
But due to occasional checks, their ankles were caught and they slowed down.
If they simply tried to overwhelm with force, the others quickly escaped far away again.
“…?”
Sieglinde narrowed her eyes watching that sight.
“…This is strange.”
If they were planning to break through to the World Tree in order to rule
But that appearance was as if…
‘They’re frantic like there’s no tomorrow if not now.’
Twitch
Her black wolf ears twitched, detecting urgent voices. Though they were being pushed back now by the overwhelming firepower, there was a sense of discomfort hidden in between.
‘Are they afraid of the president? No… If that were the case, they’d lay traps and wait, they’d never chase…’
Having once attended
Even in the midst of that, the chase continued.
“Huff…!”
“Huff… huff…! You barbaric… usurpers…!”
“We need to… defeat them all quickly…!”
The
So when their plan to quickly expend forces through direct confrontation went awry, the beastkin students made sounds as if frustrated.
“Eek…!”
“These barbarians…!”
The noble faction students ended up looking like dogs chasing chickens, unable to do this or that.
After confirming the front line had completely moved, Sieglinde was about to move with her subordinates guarding the surroundings.
“Hey―☆”
“…?”
Subordinates whispering while watching the students gradually approaching.
And until she saw the pink hair smiling beside her.
Twitch
As soon as she saw that pink hair, Sieglinde’s wolf ears twitched in inward surprise.
‘…No presence?’
* * *
Sieglinde seen up close was cute.
‘I finally get to meet her…’
Though she was mocked in the game community to the point of being called Hilde’s inferior version character and late-game balance sacrifice. I had raised her even spending money because I liked her gallant fighting style and the dignified wolf ears on her head.
‘Cat ears are more alluring to see in reality… but wolf ears have a rustic charm that’s cool too.’
But the puppy seeing me for the first time here was on guard.
An awkward silence continuing.
Even Freya and Rota standing behind me couldn’t easily open their mouths.
“…”
“…”
What’s needed at times like this is an icebreaker.
I carefully opened my mouth towards Sieglinde:
“Um, excuse me―☆ We’re people who came to help―♪”
“…”
I quickly raised both hands while giving a friendly smile towards Sieglinde. But she gradually put strength into the hand gripping her greatsword hilt and began glaring.
‘Ah, this is the silence that flows right before some misunderstanding.’
I was very familiar with this atmosphere from having so many misunderstandings lately. The subtle heat gently spread around, and the fragments of emotion bursting out ridiculously…
‘The air flowing right before things get tangled…’
In this situation, if I just blurted out whatever came to mind, it always led to an irreversible quagmire.
“…Who are you?”
“Get away now.”
“How did you enter here?”
“Are you in league with [Purple Spinning Wheel]…?”
The surrounding students gradually raising their guard.
I felt cold sweat running slightly seeing that sight. Starting a conversation with fists was problematic since the other party was Hilde’s direct subordinate.
‘If I openly beat up their juniors, Hilde would hate me right? I really don’t want that. What’s needed at times like this is…’
To break through this situation, I recalled Jia Xu, the master of survival tactics who lived to old age on wits alone.
‘That survival skill that lived through Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu, Guo Si, and Cao Cao…!’
At times like this, Jia Xu would bow his head while saying what the other person wanted to hear. By nature, people may look down on those who bow to them, but they don’t antagonize them.
‘They say you shouldn’t face someone who’s read Romance of the Three Kingdoms three times… This is so helpful.’
In that instant.
I raised all my perception abilities and recalled Sieglinde’s settings one after another. But unfortunately, as a supporting character not very important to the story, her history was sparse.
‘What topics did she like again… It’s all hazy after over two and a half years… I shouldn’t forget really important plot points like this…’
Thoughts flashing through my mind in an instant.
I was able to recall one setting among them.
『Greatly respects
Ah…!
This child… has a similar favorite topic to me…!
I could praise Hilde all day long.
‘But if I act too friendly with the person she respects, she’d find it strange right?’
I quickly spoke before Sieglinde could draw her sword:
“I’m a special envoy who came here on President Brunhilde’s orders―☆ You know♪
“…”
“Of course it’s natural to follow the orders of President Brunhilde, who’s in the highest position and most honorable student in
“…”
“S-So please listen to us―☆”
Glaaare…
But the silence still continued.
“…”
“…”
Actually, I felt something was strange as I spoke too. No matter how much I catered to the other person’s taste, there’s no way they’d be convinced by singing praises of Hilde in this abrupt situation.
“Senior… What are you suddenly saying…”
“H-Haah… I’ll just speak… M-Move aside… ruffian.”
The sighs of Rota and Freya clutching their heads at my clumsy persuasion pierced my heart.
‘Right, what am I thinking I’m Jia Xu… I’m just Yan Baihu…’
I was about to quietly step back and leave the explanation to Freya.
Grab―!
“Hmm…! Such… such an upright student!”
…Until Sieglinde grabbed my hand.
She put her greatsword on her back and grasped my hand as if shaking it.
The rough and sturdy hand she gripped was warm in a different way from Alvit’s.
‘Huh…? Really? This works…?’
I had question marks on my face looking at that hand.
“…?”
“Yes! Yes yes! A very correct understanding. As it should be…!”
Sieglinde nodded with a satisfied face and spoke. If she had a tail, it would probably be wagging with the visible fondness.
“I apologize for being overly suspicious in the midst of confusion! I thought [Purple Spinning Wheel], the research faction representative, might come directly… but I didn’t expect her to have companions like this. Moreover, I’m very glad that companion is a student with proper respect.”
“R-Right…? Then will you believe us―☆”
“Ah, of course. Let’s talk in detail as we move.”
Sieglinde faintly smiled between her strict face. Somehow that face and tone resembled Hilde’s a lot.
“…And I didn’t expect to meet a friend to share President Hilde’s good points with on such a battlefield.”
“…!”
I nodded greatly hearing those words. Somehow I felt happy thinking there was someone else who appreciated Hilde’s good points.
But there was rude whispering from behind.
“Th-That… works…? Are their intelligence levels similar…?”
“…Oh my.”
Rota and Freya had incredulous expressions watching me. But they didn’t know my other alias.
‘I am Yan Baihu, the Virtuous King of Eastern Wu. There is no talent the Virtuous King of chaotic times cannot persuade’
After sending a smug look towards Rota and Freya, I shrugged my shoulders and said to Sieglinde:
“Yes! That’s right―☆ I’m so happy to meet someone who knows President Brunhilde’s good points too―♪”
“Hm, then let’s move to the next sector now. But before that…”
Sieglinde looked at the
Feeling that gaze, Freya stepped in front of them and said:
“Th-These dregs… were just c-caught up by the 3rd years’ coercion… Th-They say they’ll tell you necessary information too… so l-let’s take them…”
“Do you think there’s such a thing as accidentally getting caught up in war?”
“C-Conversely, what evidence is there th-that these children deliberately stepped forward… Y-You must have clearly seen… the obviously alien movements of Frau and her group…”
“…”
“I-If you’re that uneasy… j-just throw them in a corner as prisoners… Th-They’re useless trash that pose no threat anyway…”
“I see.”
The more Freya’s words that were unclear if they were defense or criticism continued, the more the dozens of beastkin female students hung their heads and became dispirited. But only Rota cared about that in this place.
Rota comforted the dispirited 1st year beastkin female students while patting their backs.
“H-Hang in there…”
“Okay…”
We ran like that towards the sector where
* * *
Surprisingly, Hilde was waiting there. And she walked steadily towards me with her whole body covered in dust and soot.
“Lara.”
“…Lara?”
Just as Sieglinde inadvertently muttered and looked this way with suspicious eyes… Hilde grabbed my shoulders and pressed her lips to my forehead.
Smooch―
The sensation of soft lips.
“…That’s enough now. I can fight again.”
“…?”
“…?”
“…?”
…?
…?
…?
My thoughts stopped.