WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 74

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Cassian slowly took a deep breath and drew in magical power. It flowed through her body, healing her wounds. Mira helped from beside her.

There was no need for me to interfere. I simply watched in silence. It had already been six hours since we arrived here.

This situation was a little unexpected. When we entered the city, we had only been thinking of looking around. How had it turned into this?

I slowly retraced the process. At first, we approached the city.

The city we saw up close after reaching the edge of the canyon had an atmosphere completely different from Stalactite City. And at the center of it were the sword-wielders.

Countless people moving through the streets carried swords. Some wore them at their waists, while others had them slung across their backs.

Of course, quite a few mages were passing through as well. But compared to the sword-wielders, their numbers were relatively small.

It was my first time seeing so many sword-wielders at the university. Truthfully, no matter where I had gone in the university, there had never been many sword-wielders. Most people were mages, after all.

But this place was the opposite. So many sword-wielders had gathered here that the sharp scent of iron reached us even from where we stood. They were even fighting all over the city, swinging their swords at one another.

I slowly looked around the canyon below. The people who had dropped down ahead of us were landing naturally in the city. They blended into the crowd and disappeared.

“Is there no entrance here?”

I asked Cassian. She nodded slightly.

“You just fall in. And wait a moment....”

She approached the bear puppet and poked its shoulder hard. The thing had been looking down into the canyon, and it jumped before staring at Cassian.

When she held out her hand toward the bear puppet, it tilted its head for a moment. After staring blankly at her hand, it clapped and began rummaging through its arms.

What it pulled out was a sheet of paper. Cassian gently stroked the bear puppet, then accepted it. From the brief glimpse I caught, it looked like some kind of map.

“Mm, it’s the third floor. Follow me.”

Cassian said that, hugged the bear puppet, and gently let herself fall. The bear puppet clung tightly to her. They cut through the canyon’s magical power and headed down below.

The third floor, huh.

I looked at the canyon. This place was made up of eight floors in total. The canyon walls were covered in huge scars that looked like sword marks.

Stone monuments and swords placed here and there decorated those traces. Down below, I saw Cassian land on the third floor. She turned around and looked up at us.

“Would you hold me like that too?”

Mira said, gently leaning against me. I moved back a little under the pressure, but she closed the distance just as much.

“Hehe, I am your puppet too, you know. You should treat me kindly.”

“How could I call you a puppet, Mira-ssi? You are only bound to me for a little while.”

Mira slowly tilted her head and raised the corner of her mouth. She spoke in a whispering tone.

“Oh my? If you put it like that, I’ll be very hurt.”

She propped her chin on a finger and laughed softly. Her silver eyes sparkled beautifully.

“I work so hard for you, Evron-ssi. I’m very obedient.”

As she said that, she hugged my arm. She looked as if she had no intention of letting go. I glanced sideways at her and sighed. Obedient? That word did not suit her at all.

“Understood. Let’s go down.”

I lightly supported her body with magical power and stepped off. Just like that, we descended. I felt the sharp magical power flowing along the canyon brush past me.

The city rapidly drew closer. The upper floors passed by in an instant. We fell farther, heading toward the middle floors.

The farther down we went, the more people there were. And the more people there were, the more worn-down the facilities became.

Soon, we reached the third floor. I carefully set my feet on the ground and dispersed the magical power wrapped around Mira. She naturally slipped out of my arms.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I had a comfortable trip down.”

“It was nothing.”

After saying that, I quietly cast Environment Optimization Magic around us. It was to block the bloody iron smell that had grown strong once we reached the third floor. The heavy air became lighter, and a clear fragrance began to spread.

I walked toward Cassian. Seeing that we had come down, she was flipping the paper this way and that while checking the route. I gave a bitter smile at her awkward movements.

“I’ll help you.”

I said that and held out my hand. Cassian blinked for a moment, then quietly handed it over.

“It’s not that I can’t find the way. The map is just too complicated.”

She said that, puffing out her cheeks slightly. I checked the paper. Just as she said, the roads drawn on it were a little complicated. Still, it was readable enough.

I had learned over the past five years of lectures that she was bad at finding her way. She was always wandering somewhere. Even over the past week, she had gotten lost frequently.

I slowly looked over the map. I had already grasped the city’s structure roughly while we were falling. I followed that memory and compared it with the map to confirm the path.

It did not take long to figure out where we had to go. Just as I was about to start, Mira quietly grabbed my arm.

“Before we head to the destination, shall we buy some clothes first?”

Mira said. At her words, I looked around. Perhaps because this was a city of sword-wielders, there were not many people wearing robes.

Instead of loose clothing, most of them wore practical outfits that seemed to fit their bodies well. People in light armor or leather outfits moved with small cloaks fluttering around their shoulders.

Mira’s eyes sparkled as she looked at them. I quietly checked what we were wearing. Our outfits certainly did not seem to fit this city. Of course, Cassian was dressed somewhat similarly to them.

But Mira did not seem inclined to leave her alone. Mira grabbed Cassian tightly and looked at me. She wanted me to lead the way.

“Then I’ll guide us.”

I said that while checking the map. The map roughly showed not only the destination, but also what was nearby.

Names of organizations spread across the continent, such as Arcana General Trading Company and the Abyss Secret Association, were also written there. If we went to the trading company, they would take care of the clothes.

As we walked down the road, I began to feel slightly prickling gazes. I looked around. A few people were eyeing us while touching their swords.

“Why are they doing that?”

I quietly asked Cassian. At my words, she checked the surroundings, then lightly shot magical power toward them. They deflected it, nodded, and slowly moved away.

“They’re checking whether we belong on this floor. If they decide we don’t, they duel us.”

Cassian gestured with her chin toward the people fighting in the distance. Sword-wielders had taken over one side of the road and were swinging blades at each other. The people passing by dodged them with practiced ease.

“If you lose there, you get driven down to the lower floor. Since duels are so common, no one casually climbs to the upper floors. That’s why there’s no entrance to the city either.”

“I see.”

I nodded and slowly walked along the road. Cassian and Mira followed behind me. It did not take long to reach Arcana General Trading Company.

It was near our destination as well. The major places were all gathered around the city center, after all. Buying clothes did not take long. As we left the trading company, I quietly looked at the others.

Mira was checking herself with a satisfied smile. Cassian had a slightly dazed expression. It was understandable. Mira had made her change clothes again and again, saying she would find an outfit that suited Cassian.

I led her along and slowly set out. It did not take long to reach our destination. I looked up at the huge building before my eyes.

It did not stop at the third floor, but pierced through every floor. A sign reading Blade Association greeted us. In front of it, people carrying swords were blocking the door.

I felt them quietly examine us. I bowed my head slightly to them and looked at Cassian. I handed her the paper and asked.

“Then what will you do now? I don’t think we’ll be able to follow you.”

“I’ll go with this child. I’ll be back soon, so please wait.”

Cassian stroked the bear puppet and moved toward the building. The gatekeepers blocked the way, but once she pulled another paper from her arms, they quickly stepped aside.

She held the bear puppet’s hand and lightly entered the building. Yes, until then, everything had been fine. The problem came after that.

While I was looking around the city with Mira, someone approached. It was a young man with a cold air about him. His sharp eyes made that impression stand out even more.

“Excuse me. Are you perhaps Cassian-ssi’s companions?”

I quietly looked around. Aside from this person, many others were starting to surround us. Their magical power was also quite considerable. From my perspective, I could not face even one of them.

“Yes, what is the matter?”

“Cassian-ssi is looking for her companions, so we came to escort you. Please follow us.”

I looked down at Mira. Hanging on to me, she seemed to have no intention of intervening in this situation and only smiled gently. Without her, I could not escape. I simply nodded.

So we followed them. And that led to now.

Cassian slowly pushed herself up. The bear puppet helped her. She groaned for a moment with the movement, but as Mira continued sending fog into her, her expression eased a little.

“How did this happen?”

Cassian looked at me. Her expression was gloomier than I had ever seen it.

“They said they were very disappointed, that I couldn’t do as much as they thought I could. They also said they would control me from now on. They told me to move according to the plan they made for me in this city.”

Cassian hugged the bear puppet. It hugged her back. Stroking the bear puppet’s back, she buried her head in that bundle of fur.

“I said no. So we dueled, and it ended up like this.”

A duel. I glanced over her wounds.

Even though Mira was treating her, and even though she was constantly regenerating with her own magical power, many wounds still remained. I could not imagine how fierce the duel must have been.

“Did you lose the duel?”

I asked carefully. Her condition looked that bad. At that, she made a triumphant face. She raised her fist and smiled.

“I won. That’s why I called you here, old man. If I’d lost, I probably would have been dragged away.”

I quietly fell into thought. The Blade Association was a huge organization that ruled the city. If she were only seeking her own growth, what they said might not be all that bad from one perspective.

An organization would have a great deal of information stored up, and that meant she could grow efficiently.

But she refused it. Why? I asked her that. At my question, she stroked the bear puppet.

“If I stay here, this child will stop. Maybe we’d have to be separated too. I can’t let what’s mine be taken again.”

Her touch was very delicate. Her gaze toward the bear puppet was hazy, as if she was not looking at the creature, but at something from her past.

“And besides, other people’s expectations are tied to me too.”

Cassian said that with a soft smile. She did not continue speaking after that and looked at the door. I could feel the presence of people beyond the firmly shut door.

Six hours had passed since we were locked in here. Since there had been no contact during that time, I had wondered if they were simply keeping us confined, but it did not seem that way.

Soon, the door opened and three people entered. They carried a strong presence of magical power. The young man who had led us here earlier stood at the front and bowed his head slightly.

“Did you rest comfortably?”

He glanced at Cassian. Cassian readily nodded.

“In accordance with the result of the first duel, we granted your request to bring your companions here.”

He looked at us. So the fact that he brought us here had been the result of the duel. Considering Cassian’s situation, it was also the best option.

In this city, we were probably the only ones she could trust at all. Calling us here, the people she had personally brought, and entrusting her body to us like this must have been her only move.

The young man looked over Mira, who continued treating Cassian without even glancing at them. Magical power slowly rose from him and moved toward Mira.

Then the fog rising from her body gently pushed it away. He closed his eyes slightly and nodded. After adjusting his posture a little, he spoke.

“Since her companions are here too, I will explain the upcoming schedule again. Including today, eight duels will be held. The next duel is scheduled to take place one week from now.”

Duels. I remembered the many sword-wielders I had seen while wandering the city earlier. The ones who had taken over the middle of the road and swung blades at each other.

“Why are you holding these duels?”

I asked while checking on Cassian. The young man quietly looked at me. Until now, he had seemed as if he did not care about me at all. His eyes held a hint of displeasure.

A bit of magical power shot out from him. It was unbelievably sharp. It happened in an instant, and it was far beyond anything I could handle.

But Mira’s fog, which had approached before I knew it, softly diverted it. Mira smiled slightly and said.

“You mustn’t do that. You should consider him the same as me.”

At those words, he examined us for a moment. After a short silence, he gave a small nod and spoke.

“If a talent we sponsored falls below expectations, we take them into our fold. That is our association’s sponsorship. But since Cassian-ssi refused that, we decided to judge her again through eight duels.”

He looked at Cassian. His sharp eyes shone with a blue light.

“This is also one of our association’s traditions. Magical power is restricted, and the duel continues with only one’s will and sword. If she wins all eight like that, we will release her again. The sponsorship will also proceed normally.”

He was about to continue, but after checking us, he shut his mouth. He seemed to be choosing his words. Soon, he spoke again.

“But if she breaks along the way, Cassian-ssi will be handled by us. We will also take back Evan’s sword, the one who recommended her. That was the promise made when sponsorship was given.”

Cassian lowered her eyes with a gloomy expression. I glanced at her. Was that the expectation from someone else she had mentioned? If she broke here, Evan would suffer damage too.

“There is no need to worry. It simply means she will belong to our organization from now on, and we will cultivate the direction of her talent. There will be no major disadvantage for her.”

After that, he held out several sheets of paper. I accepted them in Cassian’s place, since she could not move. When I glanced through the papers, brief information about someone was written inside.

“The next duel opponent is Jerun-ssi. That person also received our sponsorship before. They failed their advancement as well and were collected by us, then later reached the third floor. So it will likely be a good match.”

Saying that, he gestured with his chin. At that, the people who had stayed behind him stood on both sides of the door and straightened their backs. They closed their eyes and quietly breathed out.

“If there is anything you need, tell them. For the next week, if you need something, they will bring all of it. Then please rest comfortably.”

He bowed his head like that, then turned and left the room. It all happened in an instant. I looked at the two people standing on either side of the door.

They had even posted guards. In that case, we were stuck here for a full week with no way out. I glanced at Cassian. After setting up a barrier so they could not hear, I asked her.

“Did you know this was the kind of sponsorship it was?”

She shook her head slightly.

“I just heard it would be good to receive sponsorship. I didn’t know something like this would happen. Father probably didn’t know either.”

Saying that, she sagged. The bear puppet patted her comfortingly. I fell into thought for a moment. This situation felt familiar somehow.

Sponsorship meant points. They had used that as bait to bind Cassian like this. I had been through something similar too.

It had already been almost two years, but the memory was still as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. My path had been blocked in front of me like that too. I could not resist and could only accept it. If not for Professor, I would have simply been taken.

Of course, the way they treated her and the way I had been treated were a little different. They were showing her plenty of respect. Even so, the structure itself felt rather similar.

This seemed to be the basic system organizations used to tie people down. It was certainly very efficient. If you did not know, you had no choice but to be caught by it.

But her choice was different from mine. In front of this huge pressure, Cassian chose to fight back. Unlike me, who had simply run away.

Even if she broke during a duel, that will would remain. Was this the area of the forty points Professor had deducted from me? Thinking that, I gave a bitter smile.

“Oh my, this makes things a little troublesome for us too.”

Mira said while stroking Cassian’s body. The wounds in the places her hand traced slowly healed. Under that touch, Cassian closed her eyes and began breathing deeply.

She seemed half asleep. It looked like Mira had put her to sleep. Mira looked at me and smiled.

“If she loses even once in these duels, this child will be tied to them.”

She looked at the people standing in front of the door. While gently stroking Cassian’s body, she placed a hand near Cassian’s chest and continued speaking.

“I don’t want to lose this body. And I rather like this child herself too. She’s too precious to hand over to them.”

She covered her mouth and laughed. I also calmly nodded. She was right. Why had we followed Cassian out in the first place?

It was to tame that body. If she did not go to the tower and ended up staying here, we would no longer be able to use her body in the tower.

We would only struggle in the treasure vault again and get chased out. That was something that absolutely could not happen for my future plans.

On top of that, there was the issue of points.

I had already received the huge sum of twenty thousand points. Of course, those points were in Mira’s hands. If Cassian got dragged away like this, I might have to cough those points back up exactly as they were.

But what should I do? I looked at Cassian. She said she had gone through the first duel today. During it, she had ended up covered in blood like this.

The upcoming duels would have stronger people stepping out. If she was alone, there was no way she would make it through all of them safely.

“Then let’s each think of a way. If Cassian-ssi is tied down here, we will have a hard time from now on too.”

“That’s a good mindset. I’m finally starting to like you a little.”

Mira clapped her hands and laughed. The bear puppet gently covered the sleeping Cassian’s body and sent me a pleading look.

Then what should I do? I stayed silent for a moment, chewing over the words the young man had left behind.

Cassian had called us. Because she thought we might be able to help her. Then how should we help?

I could not affect this duel directly. Fighting was her domain. In that case, I had to support Cassian from behind.

So she could focus only on this duel. So she could fully use her talent. I looked at Mira. It was something I could not do alone, but with her, it was possible.

---

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