Volume 5 Chapter 26 How To Receive Advice Rather Than Who To Receive It From
With Cedric's help, Randy and the others quickly started getting ready to head north. Specifically, they were gearing up to tackle the second half of the third term...
"This is the worst... We just had midterms not long ago."
Just like Randy said, the school's condition was that they had to pass the final exam at the end of the year──an exam of equal difficulty.
Even if they skipped classes to go north, by the time they finished everything and returned, they wouldn't make it in time for the end-of-year exam. That was the school's judgment.
Of course, with Liz and Ellie's teleportation, they wouldn't actually miss the exam. But they couldn't just casually mention teleportation.
So, Randy...
"Randy... You're wrong."
...Liz was once again teaching, right in the middle of a death march.
The group heading north consisted of Randy, Liz, Catherine, and their companion Leon. Among the 4, Leon wasn't even a student, so the test didn't matter to him. Liz, who was top of her class, had no issues. And──though it didn't sit well with Randy──Catherine was also quite smart, so she was fine too.
But Randy was in a different boat. Even though his midterm grades had improved, he was still near the bottom.
When it came to the end-of-year exam covering the entire year's material, the difficulty would be on a whole different level.
Classes had ended, and it was supposed to be a nice tea time before afternoon classes, yet Randy was at the usual terrace, studying with a reference book in one hand and a pen in the other. With the exam looming tomorrow, Liz was right there, teaching him, while Randy, despite his struggles, was doing his best. Their friends were considerate and quietly enjoyed lunch at another table.
"...How about this──."
"...Yes. That's correct."
"Phew."
After a moment, Randy leaned back heavily in his chair, sliding down a bit.
"I feel like steam is about to come out of my head."
Randy grumbled as he grabbed the cup in front of him and sipped fruit water through a straw. The cold drink flowed through his body, cooling him down after using his brain so much.
"Steam coming from your head, huh... I kinda get it."
Liz, with a wry smile, pulled out a photo of the mysterious mural. Randy peeked at the photo from beside Liz, shaking his straw up and down, "Seriously, it's a mystery."
After that, they tried to decode it a few times when they had the chance, but they didn't really get anywhere.
Well, to be exact, they could write down the words, but they still had no idea what they meant.
'maw akoo k a son eaos oto kifuz osanoke f uyofui makao utakou n ukouku ro koh onoonot umeros on u kokeker asazeh orukae shiinne n noso dayash ikakuyo nayofu k u rakotsu kifukeshi not etoten fuhoke roiena yuse taoheyami funuhor ehor ekewowa'
A jumble of meaningless words and letters. Figuring it out is tough, so they're putting it aside for now and focusing on what they can do right in front of them... but they really want some progress on this issue too.
"What should I do...?"
Randy, with his hands behind his head, swayed the straw in his mouth.
"That's rude, you know."
Liz shot him a glare, and Randy replied lazily, "Yeah, yeah," while looking up at the clear blue sky.
Slowly drifting white clouds caught Randy's attention, and he straightened up, turning around at the sound of someone approaching.
"...Impressive, Victor."
"It's rare to see you here. Instructor Burk."
Randy looked puzzled as Burk pointed with his chin towards the direction of the principal's office, saying, "The principal wants to see you."
Randy realized it was about the principal and nodded, "Ah," putting the straw back in his cup and standing up.
"You know where it is, right?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
Bowing to Burk, Randy decided to head with Liz to the principal's office at the back of the school building.
Burk tells them that the principal wants to see them. It's definitely about that bodyguard request. Thinking back, on the way home, Burk and Gardo had said things like "You did more than enough" and "I'll ask the academy for extra rewards."
* * *
"Well, sorry to call you again."
Just like last time, principal Lucius smiled in a relaxed way while sitting on a fluffy sofa with the two of them.
"Go ahead and drink."
Randy and Liz nodded and took a sip of the offered tea. The rich aroma was so amazing that even Randy could tell it was top-notch.
This tea is not something you'd serve to just any student. It's a clear sign of Lucius's deep gratitude in this one cup.
"First, let me apologize for the delay in thanking you. I've been a bit busy this time of year."
As Lucius tried to bow his head, Liz and Randy hurriedly stopped him. They had just taken on a request and completed it. Even if they did better than expected, to them, it was just part of their job.
"I've read the reports from Gardo and Burk. Of course, I've read the students' reports too. Based on that, the academy wants to give you both something as a thank you..."
Lucius stroked his beard and smiled, adding, "It's also to apologize for the chaos at the end of the year."
"But the academy was a victim too..."
Randy said with a wry smile, and Lucius shook his head slightly. The academy has its share of responsibility for safety management issues.
Randy could only see them as fellow victims, but arguing further would just lead to a pointless debate. Everyone feels responsibility differently. If accepting the reward could ease the academy's guilt even a little, he agreed to take it.
"That said, you're not in need of money, right?"
"Yeah. It's not something we'd complain about, but for now..."
Randy nodded, and Lucius stroked his chin, looking thoughtful.
"Then, I, Lucius Elderwood, will grant you one wish. Of course, only within what I can do."
Isn't this a bit too much? Randy couldn't hide his feelings, and Lucius nodded big, saying, "It's not just that."
After that incident, going on a field trip, especially with the Inferior Road showing up. If it weren't for Randy, students panicking could have led to a worst-case scenario.
Not just the Crown Prince, but all the high-ranking noble students. Everyone who participated in that training returned safely without serious injuries, all thanks to Randy's quick action.
"I can grant you a wish... Anything is fine, okay?"
In Lucius's eyes, it clearly said "end-of-year exam." Of course, he couldn't pass the exam for them, but he could bend the rules a little. Like lowering the passing mark a bit.
And next to him, Liz was poking Randy, as if to say that was the only option...
"──Can I ask you something?"
Ignoring the expressions on their faces, Randy looked serious. Lucius straightened up, sensing the change in Randy, and asked, "What is it?"
"Principal, you have lived for hundreds of years... right?"
Randy's question made Lucius nod silently.
"Liz. Show him the photo."
"Huh?"
"The mural──."
Just that made Liz understand what Randy wanted in return, but she hesitated, saying, "But..."
"It's fine."
Randy shook his head, and Liz reluctantly handed over the photo.
After flipping through the photo a few times, Randy said to Lucius, "I'll listen to the lecture later." Taking a picture of the country's ruins without permission wasn't something to be praised for. He wanted to postpone that lecture. Lucius silently accepted the photo, understanding Randy's words and gaze.
"...What is this?"
Randy asked Lucius if he could understand the content written on the mural in the ruins.
"Telling me that content is the reward for this time──."
"Is that okay?"
Lucius frowned, meaning it was something even he couldn't decipher. That was almost an answer. He was saying to drop it since he couldn't read it either.
"It's fine. There might be a different perspective we didn't notice."
Randy's serious expression made Lucius ask again, "Is it really okay?" In his eyes, he could see the words 'Is the test okay?'
"Yeah. If the test helps me improve, then it's fine, but the knowledge of someone who has lived for hundreds of years is beyond me."
Seeing Randy smile, Lucius nodded and said, "Got it," then looked down at the photo.
After staring at the photo for a while, Lucius murmured, "Hmm," and pulled out paper and a pen from another space.
"Sorry, but all I can understand is this much──."
What Lucius started to write was almost the same as what Randy and the others had decoded.
For example, the kanji "王" (king) and "黒" (black). Plus, the runes representing "fire" and "darkness," along with a mysterious string of letters.
The only difference was...
'mawakookasoneaosotokifuzosanokefuyofuimakaoutakounukoukurokohonoonotumerosonukokekerasazehorukaeshiinnennosodayashikakuyonayofukurakotsukifukeshinotetotenfuhokeroienayusetaoheyamifunuhorehorekewowa'
That he wrote all the letters connected together.
"Can I take a look?"
Randy and Liz took it and compared it with the paper where they had written down what they understood.
'maw akoo k a son eaos oto kifuz osanoke f uyofui makao utakou n ukouku ro koh onoonot umeros on u kokeker asazeh orukae shiinne n noso dayash ikakuyo nayofu k u rakotsu kifukeshi not etoten fuhoke roiena yuse taoheyami funuhor ehor ekewowa'
What Randy and the others wrote and what Lucius wrote were exactly the same word for word. The only difference was that while Randy and the others wrote it with breaks, Lucius wrote it all without any spaces.
Liz let out a clear sigh of disappointment. Even the principal, who had lived for hundreds of years, could read the letters but didn't understand their meaning. After all, even Ellie, the ancient wisdom, didn't get it. So, it made sense that the principal wouldn't either...
Randy, who was comparing the texts, noticed something.
"...Was this really okay? It looks like you all have the same thing already, right?"
The principal frowned, and Randy shook his head, saying, "Not at all."
"First, there was no mistake in your copying. That alone is valuable. And──."
Randy looked up with a happy face and grinned.
"It was worth changing my perspective. Thank you."
Thanks to Lucius, Randy saw something. Lucius seemed intrigued by this fact, but Randy, fidgeting, said, "Well, since I've received my reward," and stood up.
Lucius sighed softly, realizing he couldn't hold him back any longer.
"If you manage to decode it, I'd like you to tell me too."
With a sincere tone, Randy nodded, "Got it," and dashed out of the principal's office with Liz.
*Please note. Those with good intuition might have already realized, but the decoding of this mysterious language will be in the next chapter, so I hope you can wait a bit. Of course, even if this mysterious text is decoded, there's more to come...*
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