I looked on at the battlefield. The humans—probably the remnants of Tintor's mage guild, judging by the sheer number of robes flapping around—were still desperately holding the line. The Zelk hadn't noticed their decapitated leader lying next to me yet, but I doubted it would change the battle much. the number difference would make up their loss in morale and the mage guild would still lose
The emotional high from Overcharge had worn off. I felt like a sponge that had been wrung dry and then left out in the sun for fun. But I had one final thing to do before blacking out:
Get the best quest rewards possible.
I dismissed the swirling spell constructs around me. No more flashy multi-element barrages. Just one, simple thing. I wove together a spell, forcing as much aether as I could into a single [Fireball].
It took everything I had.
It didn't make sense. The amount of aether I poured in should've made a beachball-sized puff. Instead, it was the size of a small car. I blamed my new draconic bloodline.
I launched it toward the Zelk forces.Not two this time. Ten of the bastards were instantly turned into crispy regret.
I hoped that would be enough for the mages to at least hold out. If not… well, I was going to die too. My vision faded.
*****
I was having a pleasant dream. Scrolling on social media for hours i was watching a funny taktak video when i was rudely awakened
"Amit Neant, please wake up."
"MY PHO—huh?"
I sat bolt upright.
It looked like a hospital, or a medieval equivalent. Rows of beds. Moaning, coughing, muttering. Injured people everywhere—young, old, noble, common.
We all shared something in common:We got wrecked.
A man stood beside my bed. Early 30s. Long, flowing blond hair. Clean-shaven face. Military posture. the knight armor he wore left no guesses on what he was. He pulled the curtain shut around my bed.
"Are you Amit Neant?"
"I am. Where am I, exactly?"
"My name is Warin. Knight of the Alastia Order. You're in the capital—Onera. Specifically, inside a healer's clinic."
Ah. Onera. The capital of the Kingdom of Alastia. Quest hub of the century and the setting for most of Eden Academy's arc.
"Your injuries weren't that severe. Cuts, bruises, aether overuse, and blood loss. You'll be fine with a few days' rest."
I nodded. He continued, holding up two fingers.
"I have two reasons for coming here. First, I need a full account of what happened in Tintor. Don't leave anything out."
With a flick of the wrist, he pulled out a spell scroll and ripped it. A thin shimmer of magic surrounded us. Soundproofing. Great.
I sighed. And began to talk.
The story, of course, was adjusted for narrative appeal and plausible deniability.
I told him about the Adventurer's Guild.About hiring bodyguards.About the war whistle and the Zelk invasion.About the fighting, the Thraaly boy, and my final Fireball.
Warin's face didn't change once.
"That lines up with what other survivors said. But two questions remain."
Questions of course he would have questions!
"Did you have any forewarning of the invasion? The other adventurers claimed you seemed prepared. Hired them for 'bodyguard duty' right before it happened."
Outwardly, I kept my face neutral. Inwardly i was panicking those damn snitches! Why are adventurers so chatty when they aren't being eaten?
"Huh? Oh—I fired all my house staff in a fit of rage. That included my guards. That's why I hired adventurers. Total coincidence. Rage management issues."
Warin's eyebrow twitched. He coughed i did not miss the laugh he hid within it
"Alright. Second question—do you have any clue who set the bombs around the town? Half the Zelk were killed by them. Its clear it wasnt the zelk due to how it killed nearly half of them"
"No idea. I only heard the explosions during the fight."
He nodded and stood up.
"May I ask…" I said. "What's left of Tintor?"
His lips thinned.
"There is no Tintor. The Zelk attack and the bombs destroyed the entire town. Ninety percent of the population was slaughtered. Even if we rebuilt it, there'd be no one left to live there."
I looked down.
I hadn't warned anyone. I could have. i could have saved so many men, women, and children.
But I wanted more Zelk to kill. A better quest reward. A higher score.
And now the town was gone.
"I know that look," Warin said softly. "You think you could've done more. Maybe. But you survived. You killed a commander. You held the line. You saved more than most. What kind of student takes down a full-rank-above opponent alone? Stand proud."
He smiled then.
"Oh, and reason two? The Academy has reinstated you."
He turned to leave, then added with a casual wave,
"There's a carriage waiting outside. Try not to blow anything up on the way."
Time to enter Eden Academy.The main setting of War on Zelks. Let the real game begin.