Chapter 117

(3)

4.

After Ulan dashed out of the base, Noah found herself alone, focusing on the defense of the stronghold.

Of course, the Eloden Academy’s assault group wasn’t likely to show up here; they would need to get past Ulan first. But just in case, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to have some insurance.

‘First, I need to set up the Guardian Formation.’

Guardian Formation.

It’s the most basic defensive technique.

You plant magic totems around the target and place talismans in a sequence to create a powerful, solid barrier in a small area.

‘Though I don’t have any magic totems…’

Luckily, there was a substitute available.

The human totem Ulan had prepared.

The Student Council President, Cliff Anton.

Maybe it was because he had been hanging around the base since the mock battle started, but he had a decent amount of mana, making him perfect for using as a totem.

A little while later, the guardian formation around the flag was completed.

‘Alright. Now I’m insured against sudden attacks.’

Next, perhaps she should create a barrier to defend the base itself? Just as she was about to pull out some talismans to prepare…

“Excuse me.”

A familiar voice echoed in her ears, accompanied by the feeling of a presence.

Moments later, a girl with teal hair appeared.

An unexpected visitor.

Noah looked startled, her eyes wide. On the other hand, the girl smiled serenely.

“May I come in for a moment?”

“…Laurea.”

The next Holy Maiden of Eloden.

How did she get past Ulan? Well, with Laurea, it made sense. She possessed abilities similar to teleportation.

“Hehe, no need to be so wary. After all, my goal isn’t the flag.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”

“For me?”

“Yes, for you.”

Laurea smiled brightly.

Noah hadn’t said she could ask, but Laurea seemed unfazed.

“Then first, let me ask this.”

As if she didn’t need permission at all.

A moment later, her eyes narrowed into crescent moons as she asked,

“Who are you?”

Quite the unexpected question.

At the same time, it was a question that felt trivial.

So, instinctively about to respond—

“I am…”

Noah hastily shut her mouth.

The moment she met those bright yellow eyes, the realization hit her about the special ability she possessed.

‘…Reflective Eye!’

The eye that pierces through the essence.

In the face of power that distinguishes truth from lies, she had to tread carefully with her answers.

Especially someone like Noah, who had many secrets.

‘If I answer “Noah Darshen” here, it’ll be a lie.’

Because while this body belonged to Noah, her mind and values were that of Yoomina, a human from Earth.

In other words, she had to accurately mention Yoomina to convey the truth. After coming to this conclusion, Noah swallowed hard.

To read Laurea’s intentions.

‘Suddenly asking something like this means…’

She was aware that Noah had secrets and was trying to dig them up.

‘Did she see something with her Reflective Eye?’

There was a description in the original work that mentioned Laurea could always see the essence of the target clearly.

Based on that guess, it could be inferred that Noah’s essence was reflected in a peculiar way in Laurea’s Reflective Eye.

‘So the most prudent response would be…’

To simply stay silent.

The only way to counter the Reflective Eye is to not answer at all.

“You don’t seem inclined to answer.”

Did she pick up on Noah’s intentions?

Laurea shrugged.

“Well, that’s fine. That’s not the important part.”

As if her question wasn’t significant.

Then suddenly seeming to recall something she had forgotten, she asked excitedly,

“Oh, right. That’s a bit of a different question, but you look pretty close to Ulan. How long have you known each other? It must’ve been a while, right?”

A normal, casual question.

Yet this one also came with intent.

The actual time Noah had met Ulan was just under half a year, and this was common knowledge for Ivella or Delia. But the reality was a bit different.

Noah had known Ulan not for six months, but since she had been playing the original story.

So if she wanted to deliver the truth, she needed to include that duration. Thus, she remained silent again.

“Hmm, I see.”

Meanwhile, as Noah continued to hold her silence, Laurea narrowed her eyes slightly. Then with a gentle smile, she said,

“You seem to know something.”

With a meaningful smile.

Laurea pointed at Noah’s yellow eyes.

“About the secret of my eyes.”

“…”

At that, Noah’s gaze trembled.

It was a realization that came too late. What Laurea’s true intent was.

‘…I’ve been caught.’

The two questions Laurea presented, on the surface, seemed very ordinary. If it were Ivella or Delia, they would have surely answered without hesitation.

But Noah couldn’t do that.

She was aware of the Reflective Eye’s existence.

So she had to be cautious with her answer, and the unfavorable situation had led her to close her mouth, but she never imagined that would be Laurea’s objective.

‘At this rate, I’m going to get trapped.’

Just keeping her mouth shut wouldn’t solve anything. She needed to block the questions entirely. Otherwise, who knew what else Laurea might pull.

“I’m getting more curious about who you are and what your objective is.”

Seeing her with an interesting expression, Noah suddenly threw a talisman. The ordinary talisman turned into blue flames and surged towards Laurea.

Whack! Whoosh!

The blaze roared fiercely.

However, not a single hair on Laurea was burned. Thanks to her Holy Shield.

“Are you not willing to talk?”

“…”

That’s spot on.

Of course, Noah wasn’t one for enjoying a fight.

But she would rather dodge an awkward situation fighting her than continue this conversation.

“Alright, let’s do this. Before we continue talking, I’ll have to drain your power a bit.”

Laurea also wasn’t avoiding a fight.

With a smile, she laid her hands together and began to chant.

The moment her prayer was complete…

Rumble! Crash!

Pure Divine Power surged like a raging storm.

5.

[Ian Marcus: DECEASED]

[Remaining troops of Eloden: 3]

Accompanied by the announcement of disqualification, Ulan recalled the brief battle.

The realm of thirty-nine steps.

Just before this massive domain swallowed Ian, he swung his sword as if sensing danger.

‘That was a wise decision.’

If he had just stayed put, he wouldn’t have been able to swing his sword properly and would have been defeated.

Of course, that wouldn’t change anything.

The realm of thirty-nine steps swiftly consumed the stage, far faster than Ian’s strike.

Yet Ulan didn’t evade the strike.

It was a confrontation with an old comrade.

It felt a bit regretful to let this opportunity slip away. Moreover, he was indeed curious to test something.

Just how much power Ian Marcus currently had after pushing his Holy Power to the limit.

And from that,

Ulan grasped Ian’s strength.

‘He’s the strongest among the four.’

Ivella, Delia, Ian, Laurea.

Up till now, among the old comrades Ulan had encountered, there hadn’t been anyone who could surpass Ian in a one-on-one fight.

‘Truly exceptional talent.’

Just before the battle commenced, Ian had momentarily mentioned this name.

‘Paladin Master, Shanktus.’

Full name: Kadel Dun Shanktus.

The strongest knight in the Holy Nation and Ian’s mentor. Someone Ulan had also conversed with several times in his past life.

At that time, he had said:

“If I regret anything in my life, it would be that Marcus reached the level of Expert.”

The reasons for the regret were simple.

Because the moment Ian became an Expert from the High-ranking Knight, he graduated from Kadel’s mentorship.

Of course, he could have received more teachings, but the upper echelon of the Holy Nation had a different perspective.

They didn’t want to waste a valuable tactical weapon, who had just achieved Expert, in the training ground.

That’s why, from that point onward, Ian traveled across the continent to perform the duties of a Paladin.

“If I had strongly opposed at that time, if I had received a bit more teaching from Marcus, I might have become a Master much sooner.”

During the war against the Abyss, he would have arguably been more helpful, Kadel lamented.

But now, it was fine.

Because Ulan remembered his regret.

‘I might not be the best teacher…’

But there was definitely a way to make him stronger. By pushing him to the brink of death and repeating battles at the death line.

‘So this time, it’ll be different.’

Because I will teach him directly.

Far surpassing the Ian Marcus of my past life, so that he could stand as a sturdier shield in the war against the Abyss in the future.

Ulan smiled with satisfaction.

As if to express his excitement for what lay ahead.

Just then,

Boom!

A sudden loud roar echoed. Ulan stared at the source of the sound in contemplation.

‘Arsen’s base.’

He saw a partially destroyed cabin.

Soon after, he felt the clash of Divine Power and Magic. It seemed like Laurea and Noah were having a showdown. Ulan pulled his gaze away from the scene.

‘There’s no need to rush to their aid.’

Their strengths were almost equal.

At this rate, they could probably hold on longer than expected. So Ulan slightly lowered his stance, aiming towards the location of Eloden’s base.

As if deciding on a destination.

‘I’ll charge forward.’

Right after setting his goal.

Bang!

He slammed the ground.

Then, like an arrow, he dashed forward, bursting through the forest and racing across the vast plains.

After a while, the stronghold of Eloden came into view. But something looked odd.

‘What’s that…?’

A pure white light enveloping the cabin.

A five-star Holy Shield and various types of divine barriers. It was probably insurance that Laurea had put up while she was at the base.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a problem.

Just smash through it.

Swoosh!

Activating Spirit to maximize his physical abilities, he firmly grasped his wooden club. Soon, the ordinary wooden club erupted into bright red flames.

The symbol of a Master, Aura.

Thus, Ulan unleashed his powerful strike.

6.

Meanwhile, after initiating battle with Noah.

Laurea was inwardly surprised.

‘Much stronger than I expected?’

Noah was a Sorcerer.

So she had been slightly underestimated.

Because Sorcery was deemed primitive magic, known for its slow incantation.

On the other hand, divine spells were different.

Just by uttering a prayer, either audibly or silently, they could be activated at any moment. In special circumstances, faster than magic.

‘So I thought it would be easy to suppress her…’

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

Noah was using Sorcery at an impressive speed and defending against Laurea’s attacks. It was the moment when all the assumptions she had been sure of were shattered.

Meanwhile, Noah’s internal thoughts were somewhat different.

Despite Laurea’s high praise, she desperately suppressed her anxiety and nerves.

‘Uh-oh, what now?’

There was plenty of mana but not enough talismans.

Of course, she knew a number of spells that could be used without talismans, but their potency would be reduced.

It was inadequate for facing an SSS-class character from the Hero party, Laurea.

‘I need to hold out before my talismans run out…’

Ulan needed to secure the flag.

Noah gnawed her lips anxiously.

Then suddenly, the assault stopped.

“Phew, it’s a bit exhausting fighting constantly.”

A few steps back, Laurea said in a teasing tone.

“So how about we call it a draw?”

“…A draw?”

“Yeah, I feel we could fight endlessly without a conclusion.”

Noah’s expression brightened slightly.

It was a welcome response for her.

But the moment she heard Laurea’s next words, Noah felt her breath catch.

“Instead, let’s have a conversation.”

“….”

A look of shock and disbelief.

One could hardly blame her.

She had started the fight to avoid having a conversation with Laurea, and this completely negated the point of their battle.

“But since I was the one asking the questions before, I’ll give you a chance to ask some questions as well.”

“A chance to ask questions…?”

“Hmm, how about we take turns asking and answering each other? Just until the mock battle ends.”

What do you think? Isn’t that fair?

Laurea’s smile seemed to convey just that. However, Noah shook her head with an exasperated look.

“I don’t really have anything I’m curious about…”

This was the truth.

Because Noah had played as Laurea several times in the original story.

In other words, she was basically well-versed in information about her. So naturally, there wouldn’t be anything left to ask or be curious about.

“Hehe, is that so?”

Even with her blatant refusal, Laurea’s smile didn’t fade. Rather, it seemed like she had anticipated this response as she continued smiling while speaking.

“Frost Dragon.”

Suddenly, a name was mentioned out of the blue.

But it wasn’t particularly shocking. After all, it was a being that had already been mentioned multiple times. However, the following words were enough to shatter Noah’s composure.

“Phantom Knights, Giant King, Swamp Ruler.”

“…!?”

The Abyss Lords that had not yet appeared.

The moment their existence was listed, Noah’s eyes went wide in reflex. As if hearing an unexpected remark from someone she didn’t expect.

Meanwhile, facing the flustered Noah, Laurea smiled brightly.

“How about it? Now you’re curious, aren’t you?”

“….”

“Oh, and if you think I’ll give you false answers, don’t worry. I swear to the Divine Being that I will only speak the truth here.”

After Laurea’s promise ended, Noah finally opened her tightly shut mouth.

“…About the question you asked before.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll accept your proposal, except for that.”

A question about her identity and the period she got to know Ulan. Recognizing that, Laurea readily nodded.

“Alright, let’s go with that.”

They both acted as if it wasn’t particularly significant.

Soon, Laurea opened her mouth.

“Then I’ll begin with my question. Don’t worry too much; it’s not a grand question.”

Looking at the tense Noah, she posed her first question.

“What is your objective?”

It was indeed not a grand question.

At the same time, it was a question easy for Noah to answer. So she responded in a calm tone as usual.

“…To return.”

“Return?”

“To go back to where I originally belonged. That’s the ultimate goal I’m pursuing now.”

The bright yellow gaze sparkled like stars.

It was the truth. Laurea nodded, as if to signify her understanding. Now it was Noah’s turn, and she asked without hesitation.

“How do you know about the Abyss Lords?”

“I heard it from Ulan.”

Noah’s gaze wavered.

Somehow, it felt predictable.

Yet this alone wasn’t enough. Therefore, to pry deeper, she opened her lips again.

“Then how did Ulan know about that…?”

“That’s troubling. As I mentioned earlier, we agreed to take turns asking and answering, didn’t we?”

“….”

“Now it’s my turn, right?”

Cutting off Noah’s question in a single stroke.

Laurea widened her eyes.

“Ah, speaking of which, I’m curious too. How did you know about the Abyss Lords?”

That was a somewhat tricky question.

But for now, it was still manageable. A way to evade the truth came to her mind.

“I’ve encountered them before.”

“The Abyss Lords?”

“Yes.”

Nodding, she fell silent.

It was indeed the truth. Noah had fought countless lords while playing the original story.

After a moment of contemplation, Laurea nodded, and this time, Noah returned the question. There was no need to deliberate on what to ask.

“How does Ulan know about them?”

“It’s the same as your earlier answer.”

“…Huh?”

A blank expression crossed Noah’s face.

Which quickly turned into surprise.

It made perfect sense.

Based on the answer she just received, it meant Ulan too had fought against the Abyss Lords.

While Noah struggled to regain her composure, Laurea fell into her thoughts.

‘What I originally intended to ask…’

What she had wanted to ask in the first question was where Noah’s “original place” was.

But her thoughts had shifted slightly.

Considering the question in light of this objective, another, more piercing question came to her mind. So Laurea asked with a serious expression.

“Do you know the future?”

The moment Noah heard that question, she speculated.

Perhaps it was about suspicion towards the foresight she occasionally used as an excuse. Judging it to be a tricky question, she vaguely replied.

“Well, to some extent…”

“Please answer properly.”

Her attempt at ambiguity had been seen right through.

Indeed, this was no easy feat. Noah sighed and, with honesty, confessed,

“It’s true. I don’t know everything, though.”

The admission that she possessed foresight regarding the future.

At this, Laurea’s gaze trembled slightly.

Her speculations regarding Noah began to narrow.

Then Noah suddenly took a deep breath.

As if she were about to ask something significant.

After repeating this several times, she gripped the hem of her blue skirt tightly and spoke.

“…I know this might sound ridiculous, but just in case, I’ll ask.”

“It’s alright. Ask me anything.”

Perhaps encouraged by Laurea’s smiling face? Noah, with a serious expression, queried,

“Is Ulan a player?”

“A player?”

What is that?

Laurea tilted her head in confusion.

“Ah, from your reaction, I take it that he’s not, is he?”

Noah sighed in relief, relieved simply by Laurea’s ignorance of what a player was. This made Laurea narrow her eyes slightly.

‘What is a player?’

It felt like some sort of important clue.

Though her instincts whispered that thought, she couldn’t ask. Noticing smoke rising in the distance from Eloden’s base.

‘…I’m out of time.’

The mock battle would end soon.

So she had to get to the point.

The reason she made this proposal. The real question Laurea wanted to ask Noah. She let out a soft breath and spoke.

“Noah Darshen.”

Her face turned serious, devoid of any laughter.

With a grave expression, she asked,

“Are you on the side of the Abyss?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

A response given without a hint of hesitation.

It was the truth.

Laurea’s eyes sparkled. She realized that Noah wasn’t an enemy.

And in that moment,

[Vapor Deonas: DECEASED]

[Lua Axen: DECEASED]

[Remaining troops of Eloden: 1]

An announcement signaled that there had been casualties.

Now only Laurea remained.

The implication of this was clear.

Noah’s eyes widened in shock as Laurea let out a sigh of relief. Soon after, a new notification appeared before the two.

[The flag of the Eloden army has been captured.]

[Victorious army: Arsen Academy]

[Final victor: Ulan Bator]

[The mock battle has concluded.]

The signal announcing the end of the battle.

Laurea shrugged.

“Let’s wrap up our conversation here.”

“…What?”

“Huh? Why are you surprised? We agreed to talk only until the mock battle ended, didn’t we?”

Noticing Noah’s shocked expression, Laurea tilted her head. Noah, looking quite flustered, interjected.

“But you asked the first question, so it should be fair for me to ask until you ask too!”

“Did I ever say that questions needed to be fair?”

“Th-That’s…”

“Anyway, the conversation is over.”

She smiled brightly.

Then gesturing outside, she declared,

“Let’s go. We need to participate in the awards ceremony.”

“….”

Noah sealed her lips tight.

A signal of protest.

Meanwhile, Laurea turned away and exited first. As if she had nothing more to say.

Watching this, Noah shivered.

‘Ugh, I got hit hard there.’

After letting out a heavy sigh, she began to recollect the little information she had managed to gain.

It broke down to the following three points.

Firstly, Ulan knows about other Abyss Lords besides the Frost Dragon.

Secondly, Ulan has fought against the Lords.

Thirdly, Ulan is not a player.

After organizing all this information,

Noah swallowed her disappointment.

‘I should have asked about this one too.’

Based on those three facts, she thought of one question.

“Does Ulan remember his past life?”

It was a reasonable question.

After all, the door to the Abyss hadn’t opened yet, but he knew who the Abyss Lords were.

Moreover, he wasn’t a player.

Then the presence of past life memories, meaning memories of a previous round, must exist.

Noah suspected as much.

‘Of course, it sounds ridiculous…’

Yet she couldn’t form any other thoughts.

So she planned to ask, but who would have thought the conversation would abruptly end when the mock battle was over?

Nevertheless, Noah didn’t give up.

‘I’ll propose this again soon.’

A suggestion to repeatedly ask and answer questions, just as they had done before. Through this, she wanted to confirm whether her innermost suspicions were correct.

‘If this speculation is true…’

Many things would change.

Watching the blazing Eloden stronghold in the distance, her azure eyes gleamed intensely.

After Noah also withdrew from the base, the friendly mock battle between Arsen Academy and Eloden Academy officially concluded.

Chapter 28: Shall we call it a draw?