Chapter 73

After finishing our second period class, the three of us—me, Rea, and Rose—gathered in front of the student council room, carrying our bento boxes. We were there to participate in the regular meeting, which was essentially a "lunch meeting."

When I, representing the three of us, knocked on the door,

"---Come in."

The president's composed voice replied.

Then, I slowly opened the door,

"Oh, Allen, Rose, and... Rea!"

The president, upon confirming our presence, ran over to us.

"I'm so glad you're all safe...! When I heard that you were rescued from the research facility near Dressia last night, I was relieved...!"

As she said this, the president gripped Rea's hand tightly,

"That must have been a terrible ordeal... Are you okay?"

"Really, I was so shocked... But I'm glad we're all safe..."

Lilim-senpai and Felis-senpai, who had been relaxing on the sofa at the back, also ran over to us.

"Everyone—this time, we caused you a lot of worry."

Rea said this and bowed her head slightly,

"No, Rea, it's not your fault... The one to blame is my home, which allowed such dangerous intruders to enter. I'm truly sorry..."

The president, a prominent figure from the Arkstria family, bowed deeply.

"President, you don't need to apologize...! Please, stand up..."

Rea, taken aback by the sudden gesture, said this, but the president quietly shook her head.

"National defense is one of the important duties of the Arkstria family. I can't make excuses for this... And I'm truly grateful to you, Allen. If something had happened to Rea... It would have escalated into an international issue, not just a problem for the Arkstria family..."

She then thanked me again.

"No, don't worry about it. I just helped a friend."

The president briefly said "thank you" and then started talking about the current security measures.

"Currently, under the guidance of the Arkstria family's swordsmen, we have established a much stricter security network than before. Additionally, we plan to significantly increase the number of personnel starting next month—so it won't be easy to infiltrate anymore."

After the conversation settled down a bit,

"Um, um! Let's stop the serious talk and have lunch, shall we!"

"I'm already starving..."

Lilim-senpai and Felis-senpai, being considerate, helped lighten the heavy atmosphere.

"---That's right. I'm getting hungry too."

I seized the opportunity and created a flow for a fun lunch.

"---Right. Then, as usual—let's start the regular student council meeting!"

The president, understanding our intentions, smiled slightly and announced the start of the meeting with a bright voice.

After that, we enjoyed our usual "lunch meeting."

■

After the regular student council meeting and the afternoon strength training, I headed to the principal's office alone.

I knocked on the heavy black door,

"---Come in."

Ms. Reia's stern voice replied.

(This voice...)

Perhaps because we've spent a considerable amount of time together...

I somehow figured it out.

(Her voice is stern, yet there's a hint of brightness—she's definitely playing around...)

She must have pushed her work onto Eighteen and is reading her favorite Weekly Shonen Yaiba again.

While thinking this, I slowly opened the door and saw Ms. Reia, with a serious expression, facing a high-quality black desk.

"---I can't leave my work right now. Please wait a moment."

She didn't look at me, frowning as she read the documents in front of her.

"Yes."

I answered briefly and waited for her to finish.

After about three minutes,

"Phew..."

Ms. Reia put down the document she was reading—Weekly Shonen Yaiba—and let out a deep breath. Her face was flushed with excitement.

It seems this week's issue was quite satisfying.

"---I've enjoyed it."

She muttered briefly, then drank the water on the desk in one go,

"---So, what brings you here, Allen? It's unusual for you to come alone."

She finally turned to me.

"Yes. Actually, I have something I'd like to discuss..."

"Oh, I see. In that case, feel free to talk about anything. Fortunately, I'm free today."

"Thank you. Then—"

I then talked about the various issues I've been struggling with.

The black sword, which I should have been able to summon at the research facility, but couldn't anymore.

Being told by that guy in the spirit world that my spiritual energy was "completely drained."

Being able to emit a small amount of darkness at will.

After listening quietly to all of this, Ms. Reia summarized my dilemma accurately.

"Hmm, I see... So, you're struggling with the order and method of training for the 'black sword,' 'spiritual energy,' and 'darkness,' right?"

"Yes, that's exactly it..."

The black sword, spiritual energy, darkness—over the past few days, I've learned a lot about these things.

To manifest the black sword—soul armor—I need to defeat that guy in the spirit world.

To strengthen my spiritual energy, Ms. Reia said that mundane strength training is the best.

To manipulate darkness freely—I don't even know where to start.

To be honest, I'm not sure where to begin.

Then,

"Among these three, you should definitely start with 'darkness.'"

Ms. Reia stated clearly.

"Start with darkness...?"

"Yes, no doubt about it."

Ms. Reia, who was unusually decisive, continued to explain the order of training.

"In your case, the first priority is to be able to manipulate darkness freely. After that, strengthen your spiritual energy and increase the amount of darkness you can control. Finally, train to manifest the black sword—soul armor. This is the best order."

"Ah, I see...!"

First, master the manipulation of darkness, then strengthen my spiritual energy to increase the amount of darkness.

By doing this, I can maximize my combat power, and then defeat that guy and manifest the black sword—soul armor.

Indeed, it makes sense.

"Thank you very much, Ms. Reia! This is very helpful."

"Hehe, you're welcome. The Sword King Festival is coming up soon. I'll be supporting you from the sidelines."

"Yes!"

I replied enthusiastically,

"Then, I'll take my leave."

"Ah, don't overdo it."

I left the principal's office.

■

After Allen left the principal's office,

"---Well, this should buy us some time."

Reia muttered, feeling a heavy sense of guilt.

Then,

"Was it really okay, Ms. Reia...? To teach such a misguided training method..."

Eighteen, who had been diligently working on documents in the corner, asked for confirmation.

"..."

Reia fell silent, her face twisted in discomfort, tormented by her conscience.

"---Ideally, the first priority should be to manifest the black sword. That 'darkness' is merely a byproduct of the black sword. No matter how much time you invest in it, you'll just be going down a side path. You'll never reach the main goal of manifesting the black sword—soul armor. You know this, don't you, Ms. Reia...?"

Faced with Eighteen's perfectly reasonable argument, Reia shrugged.

"---It couldn't be helped. No one could have imagined that he would lose his power so quickly... from that guy..."

She sighed, as if giving up.

"Allen is... undoubtedly a 'genius.' After all, he overpowered that monster with his mental strength... Hehe, it's hard to tell who the monster is now."

She laughed weakly,

"Anyway—Allen can't stand out any more. If the upper echelons of the Black Organization notice him, it will be troublesome... Especially the 'Thirteen Knights of the Oracle'—if they get involved, even I won't know what to do..."

She muttered with a troubled expression.

"I see, so the priority is to keep Allen hidden...?"

"Pretty much, yes..."

"I understand. But if that's the case... what about the Sword King Festival?"

"---With such a misguided training method, there's no way he'll grow. He will definitely suffer a crushing defeat when he faces the other five academies... No, it would be a problem if he didn't. The Sword King Festival attracts a lot of attention..."

She said this with a complex expression,

"---Now, let's end this conversation! Stop wasting time and get back to work!"

"Y-Yes!"

She clapped her hands and ordered Eighteen to resume her work.

However, at this moment, Reia had already made a big mistake.

She was so wary of Allen Roadel's 'talent' that she overlooked his 'abnormality.'

From that day on, Allen faced 'darkness' constantly.

While walking.

During class.

While practicing.

While eating.

While bathing.

As long as he was awake, he faced 'darkness.'

The 'patience' he had cultivated over billions of years of bitter suffering made this possible.

And finally, the day of the Sword King Festival arrived.