I Was Confessed to by the Golden Sun

39 – Unwavering Comfort

Time passed, and suddenly it was the day of the decisive battle, starting the third episode.

We were all tense as the time for Silvesta’s attack and our theft operation approached during lunchtime.

Well, to be precise, the ones feeling tense were not all of us, but just Raul and me.

“Dreung… Poooh…”

I sighed when I saw Lucia sleeping comfortably, leaning her head on my shoulder.

Is she confident, or does she simply not have any thoughts? How can she sleep so comfortably when there’s less than thirty minutes left until the operation starts?

“What are you doing?”

I gently stroked Lucia’s head, which was resting on my shoulder with her shoulders as a pillow.

Raul looked at us with an incredulous tone in his voice.

Oops, I must have looked too soft because of how fluffy she is.

“Lucia, wake up.”

“Ugh… just five more minutes…”

I tried to shake Lucia awake, but when I saw her pouting while holding her own head, I quickly changed my mind.

Yeah, if she’s cute, then it’s all good. Lucia, do whatever you want!

Anyway, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let Lucia rest, since she’s as strong as a close combat battle.

Hmm, above all, Lucia’s physical condition is the most important.

“Crazy bastards…”

I heard Raul mumbling in front of us, but I ignored it lightly.

Of course, he can’t empathize with us since he’s been a perpetual bachelor for a thousand years. Let’s understand him with a broad mind.

“Student fooling around back there! How do you implement an explosion-type flame magic watch?”

Just as I was about to forgive Raul with mercy, a piercing voice came into my ears.

It was a question thrown by the professor, who seemed displeased with me for making such a loud noise.

Naturally, the question was difficult, considering it was meant to test my limits.

“I believe it is composed of a triple-linked magic circle, with two additional strokes in the vertical direction to activate the core quickly, and a single spiral in the reverse direction.”

I didn’t just earn the qualification for Class A at Campbell Academy by luck.

Not only the practical exams, but the theory exams were also conducted during the eNT*Rance exam for the academy.

After struggling for eight years to get into Class A at Campbell Academy, it wouldn’t make sense if I couldn’t solve such a problem.

“..That’s correct. Let’s end the lecture here for today. Enjoy your lunch, everyone.”

With that, the professor finished the lecture with a gloomy expression and walked out of the classroom.

If I had delayed the answer for no reason, the lecture would’ve just ended later. I’m glad I answered quickly.

Ignoring Raul’s surprised expression, I now had to wake Lucia up for real.

“Hoo.”

“Heeyaak?”

I blew a breath in her ear.

Her reaction was clear, I should do this often in the future.

As I urged my steps towards the floating core, Lucia hurriedly approached and puffed up her cheeks.

“Hmm…”

However, without paying attention to her, I started to focus on the overall atmosphere.

It’s about time for Sylvesta to come. To execute the plan, Sylvesta needs to start the fight outside first.

This way, the security company will flock to Sylvesta’s side, and we can take advantage of the weakened defense to seize the magic engineering core.

“Sylvesta needs to come quickly..”

Saying that, I set foot in the secluded garden of the academy.

“..Is it really true that there’s some kind of magic engineering thing here?”

Lucia said as if she couldn’t believe it, but surprisingly, the magic floating core was in this seemingly ordinary garden.

To be precise, the place where the magitech flux core is hidden is beneath the fountain in the center of the garden of the academy.

And it’s not just something that comes out only when you open the fountain; it’s a space that resembles a wide maze hidden beneath the fountain.

Even within that space, you have to go to the center of the maze to obtain the magitech flux core.

‘Aside from that, there are various traps throughout the maze to prevent thefts.’

There is even a security company guarding and patrolling the secret path that lies beneath the academy, like the Dragon’s Guard.

They have gone to great lengths for security, installing devices and traps beyond just doubling or tripling them.

That alone was sufficient to call it an extraordinary measure to protect the main power source of the academy and one of the Five Wonders.

-Clunk!

At that moment, a sound like something exploding came from beyond the wall.

Perhaps Silvesta broke the wall to create disturbance, just like I said.

If not, there wouldn’t be such a loud noise inside the academy.

“So, did they say we just need to wait a little longer?”

Raoul, who had been fidgeting like a restless puppy all this time, asked me, and I quietly nodded in agreement.

She kept worrying after hearing the name Silvesta, but that woman is a bit of a fanatic.

“Yes, the person who was chasing you probably didn’t expect this situation and is at a loss right now.”

The request written in the letter I gave to Silvesta was simple.

I would lure Raoul near the wall where he would be swept away by the attack, and at the exact time, Silvesta should attack Raoul from beyond the wall to take care of him with a single blow.

A strategy utilizing the fundamental psychology that no one would expect someone to jump out from beyond the wall.

But the people from the security company that broke the wall will probably be the first ones Silvesta encounters.

Of course, since they are human too, it will take them some time to reach where Silvesta is, so we have to wait here for a little longer.

“It would be troublesome if we get caught too soon just because we rushed in.”

We wait leisurely like a fisherman waiting for a fish.

When a fight starts in the direction where Silvesta is, we can enter at that time.

Silvesta is also the type to make use of explosions in fighting, so if she ends up fighting, the sound of explosions will resound.

-Clunk!

Just like that, right now.

“Prepare yourself.”

I triggered an explosion beneath the fountain as a response to the sound of explosions made by Silvesta.

Then, a wide passage became visible right beneath the fountain.

“Why does this academy have so many pathways on the ground?”

Lucia grumbled and spoke jokingly, but I couldn’t help but sympathize.

Even the monsters dig underground burrows to hide their floating cores.

But what can we do? The Academy, which is supposed to be an educational institution, doesn’t have many places to hide other than underground.

“Careful…”

As I entered the burrow and looked around, all I could see were long, dark, twisted paths.

If the iNT*Ruders are not familiar with the layout, they probably won’t be able to find their way here without a map.

“Raul, can you locate the location of the magical floating core?”

“Of course.”

But we have detection dogs.

A scouting specialist with exceptional magical detection abilities who can immediately distinguish the magical floating core using their thousand years of experience.

I tried replicating the method of obtaining the magical floating core from the original, and it seems to be working.

“We need to be careful because there might be traps. Stepping on something strange might sprain our ankles.”

Normally, Nihil would specialize in disabling traps and take the lead. But Nihil is currently away searching for his wife.

I tried my best to recall the description in the novel and searched for traps by wiping the walls and floors like Nihil did.

“Let’s not go this way, the texture of the wall is a bit different.”

I was able to see some actual effects.

Although Raul’s magical detection provides the shortest distance to the magical floating core, it took some detours.

Still, it’s a significant gain to not fall into any traps.

Slowly and carefully, we continued onward through the dark path for a long time.

-Swish!

Lucia clung to my arm and quietly spoke.

“It’s a bit scary…”

Holding onto my arm tightly, Lucia cautiously looked around in case something appeared. Was this person always this fearful?

Curious about Lucia’s unfamiliar appearance, but continuing to walk, Raul muttered.

“We should be close to the exit now. I didn’t expect to arrive this quickly.”

All the security companies have already left, I’ve bypassed the traps, and Raul is finding the way.

Due to the highly efficient route, Raul claimed that we have arrived near the vicinity quite quickly.

But if we think about it, it’s only natural. It’s impossible to completely dig through the ground of the academy.

It would probably take around a few tens of minutes to wander around the maze underneath the academy and make it to the center.

“Oh.”

What appeared before our eyes after arrival was a considerably wide area, and in the center, a magical engineering fluid core.

The dazzling radiance it emitted was so enchanting that it was quite sufficient to make one feel elated just by looking at it.

Just as Raul was drawn towards the magical engineering fluid core.

“Hold on.”

A feeling of unease set in.

The entire process had been too smoothly handled, which was concerning.

Even Nihil, who could be regarded as an expert in traps, had a close call here, where the defenses were located.

There were no traps that posed significant difficulty on the way here.

‘Furthermore, could all the security personnel possibly be absent..?’

Even in the original work, the place where the core was located had drawn the most people.

Even in an emergency, there should have been someone around, but there was not a single soul.

While on guard and scanning the area ahead, a silhouette emerged from behind the magical engineering fluid core.

The figure appeared delighted to know we had spotted him, and gave a bright smile.

“Ha… I didn’t think you would make it all the way here.”

The figure, who had been stroking the magical engineering fluid core while sweeping back his blue hair, then stepped forward into view.

It was none other than…

“Why are you here..?”

“It’s been a while, right, Kumeinji?”

The Student Council President, Francis Watson.