## Chapter 321 – The Monarch of Monsters (23)
“Department of Magical Engineering…!! Matilda…!! Gracie!!
Is Gracie here!?”
“I told you not to move!! The bone will heal wrong!!
What are you doing!? Grab her arm, quick!!”
“Civilians, please follow the guides and gather in the building over there!!”
“Casey!! Reina!! Baby!! Where are you!!”
It was a scene straight out of hell.
The academy, which would normally be a place of ordinary studies and youthful exuberance, was now in the throes of a massive evacuation.
In a way, it was a fortress protected by various magical devices, and refugees had come seeking a glimmer of hope.
Charlotte, unable to ignore them, made the decision to accept them, and the academy, overflowing with people far beyond its capacity, looked like it was hosting a rally.
However, the faces of the people gathered there were all shadowed with despair, which was a sad thing to see.
“I’m sure you’ve considered this in advance, but…
We won’t be able to hold out for long like this.”
“Food is going to be a problem.
The refugees brought some with them, but…
It won’t be enough for everyone to eat…”
“We might be able to grow vegetables temporarily…
But the crops grown with Chao Xing Mountain’s rapid plant growth agent have no nutritional value.
They consume nutrients rapidly during the growth process.
If we try to grow them normally… people will starve to death before that.”
“In the worst-case scenario… ugh…
There will be a riot.”
As the department heads put their heads together and worried, Charlotte’s heart, caught in the middle, felt even heavier.
Ultimately, it was her decision that moved this academy.
Due to the previous austerity measures, the academy had not been running smoothly.
Just when she thought she had solved the problem, this happened before she could even acquire everything that was needed.
Her duty as the academy’s chairwoman, to protect the students, and her duty as a noble, to protect the people, overlapped.
“In the end… there’s only one answer…”
And so, the painful question of whether she would end up protecting no one properly lingered in her mind.
“Unfortunately… that’s right.
We can’t say the chances are high, but…”
“According to the magical communication…
The royal army is still fighting desperately.
So are the Royal Knights and the Royal Magician Corps.
There’s no one left to defend the palace anymore.
But… they won’t be able to hold out for long…”
“We were too complacent in this long peace…
This old man is ashamed beyond words…”
The Head of the Swordsmanship Department put down the magical communication device he had been holding and recited the current situation.
Following his words, the Department of Magical Engineering Head’s calm, self-deprecating remark brought a somber mood to the room.
“How are the students…?”
“Most are tired, and there are quite a few injured, but overall, they’re in good condition.
Some students went missing immediately after being dispatched, but it’s a very small number.
The students are probably… ready.”
“I know it’s presumptuous… I know it is…
But… could they fight again…?”
“Chairwoman…”
“I know it’s a difficult request.
Weak people born in a peaceful world.
Just the fact that we’ve come this far…
Maybe we’ve done enough. But…”
Seeing the tears welling up in Charlotte’s eyes as she looked at the department heads, they let out sighs of pity.
They had somehow managed to hold off the small-scale dungeons, but if they couldn’t do anything about the huge gate of this large-scale dungeon, which was worse than all of them combined, the situation would remain bleak.
The Royal Knights and the Magician Corps, a collection of the elite of the elite.
A precarious tug-of-war made possible by their all-out fight.
Even in the midst of that, the number of monsters pouring out through the gaps was steadily increasing, and it would only get worse the moment the Magician Corps collapsed.
“No matter how I think about it, there’s no future like this…
We can’t divert troops from the front lines where they’re fighting right now.
Then we’d have to get help from other cities, or even other countries…
But everyone here will be dead before that…”
A young girl who should be dreaming only beautiful dreams was now speaking of the harsh reality with her own mouth.
But there was always a glimmer of hope to be found.
“We have to somehow finish sealing the dungeon…
The Royal Magician Corps might not have enough power on their own…
But if we join them… maybe…”
“It’s theoretically possible.
Compared to the magicians of the Royal Magician Corps, our students are mere fledglings.
But… our students have a fighting spirit that surpasses that…!!
I’ve watched and taught these young sprouts.
I think those sprouts are ready…”
In some ways, it was an incredibly cruel thing to do.
To send students who had already been thrown into battle once, to the battlefield again.
Looking outside, the department heads felt just as suffocated.
“I… I…!! I couldn’t do anything…
The old man… next to me…!!”
“It’s not your fault…!!
Right? Everyone couldn’t help it…!!”
They said they were ready, but as young students, they were also quite fatigued.
“Are you okay, Yoana?”
“I… I want to be alone for a bit…
Sorry… I’m scared…”
“Let’s go together. I’ll stay with you. Okay?”
“Thank you, Susan… sob… sniffle…”
How could they put these vulnerable people through another ordeal, instead of helping them?
Even in the sky covered with thick gray clouds, a ray of light would break through.
But to break through those clouds, the sacrifice of countless beams of light colliding with the clouds was necessary.
A peaceful era creates weaklings.
“If we fail, even the academy…
Will collapse.”
“This time… everyone has to do it…
Because… this is that kind of time…”
But those weaklings born in a peaceful era would be able to strengthen themselves by overcoming the difficult world they had created.
“Then I’ll go talk to them…
I guess… that’s my job as the chairwoman of this generation.”
As if to say she wouldn’t borrow anyone else’s hands, Charlotte stood up from her seat and began to walk towards the door of the chairwoman’s office in front of the department heads.
“Heh heh… the former Marquis will be pleased…”
“To think that guy had a daughter like that.
That’s a miracle in itself.”
When the door was half-open, her timid voice, glancing back as if embarrassed, could be heard.
“But… could you stay with me…?”
At that moment, the admiration that came with the chairwoman’s another growth.
And the awkwardness that followed seemed to be everyone’s share, or was it just her imagination?
Just looking at Charlotte’s flushed face, the sound of laughter in the chairwoman’s office continued for a while.
.
.
.
.
.
.
“Did you hear? They’re moving out.”
“I guess it can’t be helped…
That giant gate.
A major disaster will happen unless we get rid of that.
So, what are you going to do, Vivian?”
While listening to Charlotte’s speech, which was not long but intense, Vivian and Aurora, mixed among the students, were whispering together.
Although it was an intense speech, summarizing the content in broad strokes, there were three things.
One, we must step up now for the future of this country.
Two, I know it’s hard and painful, but I hope you’ll find the strength to do it again.
Finally, three, everyone except for the minimum number of people to protect civilians will launch an offensive to break through the path to where the Royal Knights and the Magician Corps are fighting, and entrust the on-site command to the person in charge there.
“You’re from the Department of Fusion Magic Engineering, so try to blend in with the Magician Corps.
You’ll probably be protected first, and you’ll probably have no problem surviving until the end.”
“Will you be standing at the front with Rainier, Vivian?”
“We have to stop that gate first.
It’s going to be difficult with our strength alone anyway.
I’m going to help by combining our strength.
I’m going to have the Henias help secretly too.”
On the surface, it was a smooth plan, and Aurora’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The saying that there’s always a plausible plan until someone gets beaten up was, in fact, closer to big data refined by experience.
“Department of Magical Engineering!! Please gather!!”
“Hmm… I’m being called…
Then, good luck, Your Majesty?”
“I’ll promote you if you come back alive, so don’t die.”
She was as cunning as a snake seducing Eve.
She always pretended to follow her obediently, but she was always looking for a chance to push her out of the queen’s seat and eyeing her lover, so Aurora didn’t often like her purely.
Was this what they called grudging affection, or was it because she had already seen an unwanted death, and her heart had weakened for no reason?
Aurora seemed to sense the subtle emotion in Vivian’s eyes as she looked at her, and she stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter as if she found it amusing.
“Ahahaha!! How honored I am?
I’ll try to do that if possible.
Then, I’ll be going now…”
“Department of Swordsmanship!! Assemble!!”
“Vivian!! We’re being called too…!!”
Vivian, who was looking at Aurora’s departing back, turned to Rainier, who was calling her, and walked towards her, starting to walk side by side.
“Let’s go. Are you ready?”
“Anytime!! Let’s wipe them all out…!!”
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.
.
“Reorganize the formation…!! The next wave is coming!!”
“Ah…!! I feel like I’ve seen this scene somewhere before…!?
It’s those guys again!? Noooo!!”
“Move your arms, not your mouth!! They’re coming!!”
It was truly a procession of large-scale students and warriors.
The security police department personnel, who had escorted the students and refugees to the academy, were reorganized under the command of Inspector Deborah.
And even the student soldiers, led by professors and assistant professors from various departments.
Although it wasn’t as splendid and flashy as a triumphal march, the students, thinking that they had no choice, were trying to somehow get through it, rekindling their fighting spirit that had almost died out, and stepping forward.
But perhaps there were still some dungeon gates that hadn’t completely closed, and monsters appearing from all over were attacking them one after another.
“Watch out for your heads!! We’re going to fire a Deflea at them one by one…!!”
“What… what’s that… ugh…!!”
“I told you to watch out!! Just duck!!”
With the quick casting of the lined-up students from the Department of Applied Magic Engineering, a pillar of fire soared up, cleanly burning away the approaching monsters.
The students from the Department of Swordsmanship, who had bought themselves a moment to catch their breath, were struggling to make the most of the given time, reorganizing their posture as much as possible.
But at that moment.
The students, who had been off guard, were thrown into chaos by the shadows covering them from the rooftops.
“Uhhh!! It’s above…!! Above!!
These things…!! They’re climbing the roof…!!”
“Don’t panic!! They’re aiming for the moment they drop to attack!!”
“It’s… coming…!! Eek!!”
The students, whose defense range had suddenly expanded to above their heads by the sight of a group of monsters resembling wolves jumping from roof to roof, were about to fall into confusion, anxiously guarding above their heads.
The professors and assistant professors tried to step forward belatedly, but at the very moment when the monsters were trying to target the blind spots of the students, where gaps had already formed.
“Having a hard time?”
Suddenly popping out from their hiding places on the rooftops, stabbing the monsters’ bellies or cutting their necks with spears or swords.
“You have important things to do, so why don’t you go ahead?
With honesty and trust as our motto, we’ll take care of this place.”
The students, who thought they were hopelessly isolated among the monsters, were relieved by the appearance of surprisingly many thugs and fighters.
“Jebi… you were alive…”
Vivian, who was standing mixed among the students, noticed that his gaze was directed precisely at her.
Jebi’s appearance, who she thought had run away somewhere and perhaps even died because she couldn’t see him.
“Alright!! Let’s leave the top to them and go forward again!!”
“Oooooh!! Let’s go…!!
Let’s break through everything!!”
And with his unexpected and perfectly timed support fire, Vivian smiled slightly, waved lightly, and turned around, taking the lead.
Jebi, who was watching Vivian’s back, slightly opened his eyes, then picked up the coat lying on the floor, put it on, and picked up a wide-brimmed fedora hat.
“A double life, huh? Sounds pretty fun.
Well… once you get a taste of it, it’s hard to get out.
Igor, how’s the preparation going?”
“The preparations for the Chains of Silence and the Rough Fangs are complete.
All 3,000 are lying in wait on the route to the destination and around the academy.”
Their conversation, with the number of simple organization members alone exceeding thousands, seemed to show who the overlord of the back alleys was.
“Parloccino will be doing whatever he’s doing on his own…
It’s about time we showed those fearless monsters that have crept into our territory a bitter taste.”
“Understood.”
Behind Jebi, who was pulling his hat down low, those who revealed themselves as if seeping out of the shadows were scattering in all directions.
“Still, it’s my beloved neighborhood, I can’t let it be taken by those who rolled in.”
