Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy

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81. There’s No Room for Revival.

As Trisha snatched the staff, she unleashed the intermediate magic, Blade of Wind.

The chilling wind coiled around the staff, aimed right at Luska’s neck, poised to strike.

If this were real combat, it would have been a decapitation, making it seem like Trisha had the upper hand.

“Divine Beast Transformation.”

A powerful light radiated from Luska as she muttered softly. In an instant, Trisha was flung back as if struck by something.

Just barely escaping victory, Trisha landed on the ground and gazed in disbelief.

Her once cute junior now had pointy ears sprouting from her head, and a tail was swaying behind her.

Moreover, her hair had transformed into a bright, flashing white.

“Oh my goodness….”

Trisha gasped, overwhelmed as she watched her junior morph into a fox Beastman. Gasps of awe erupted among the observing students, and I too inhaled sharply.

[Divine Beast Transformation]

This is a buff and awakening skill that you can acquire after playing Chapter 3 with Luska.

The activated effect often unleashed a flash of light from the body to drive away the enemy, which was sometimes used as a means of escape.

Every weekend, Luska would prepare breakfast for me and head out, hinting that the purpose was to train and acquire that skill.

However, since it was just the beginning of her acquisition, the duration was only 30 seconds.

The fact that she managed to activate it while still incomplete proved just how fiercely Trisha had pressured Luska!

Realizing this, Luska gripped her double-edged sword and said,

“I apologize for saying earlier that you couldn’t keep up with our level.”

“Thanks for that.”

“But you must pay for the trouble you caused me during that time.”

“Huh? When did I ever make you angry?”

Responding with an air of indignation, Trisha conjured magic from her right hand holding the staff and the empty left hand.

She fired both the Blade of Wind and Aqua Ball simultaneously, but they were easily blocked by the double-edged sword, reigniting their battle.

*

Magic doesn’t only come from a staff. In fact, the staff merely assists in stabilizing the magic.

Naturally, most spells are crafted with the hands. The mana flowing through the body takes shape in the hands and forms magic circles.

Thus, the user’s skill, not the staff, is what truly matters.

A high-level archmage can unleash earth magic with just a stomp or can create numerous magic circles in thin air with a finger snap.

‘Mary’s talent to achieve that is truly exceptional.’

Infusing a spell into an object operates similarly. A skilled mage can imbue a rod with fire attributes within a minute, but an average student would require over five minutes.

Yet Trisha grabbed an arrow and threw it back in precisely one second. That was the time it took to cast a spell onto the arrow!

While not as talented as Mary, Trisha possessed extraordinary skills.

No, more than talent, what caught my eye was…

‘Was that senior a martial arts user?’

Trisha’s combat was captivating, her actions so precise that it almost felt like a true magician was battling against a student, with arrows flying faster than those Luska had shot.

Her movements were as glamorous as a female martial artist from a martial arts movie. The teleporting maneuver toward the staff was flawless.

But as time passed, Luska began to grasp all of her tactical maneuvers.

Magic missiles and elemental spells were ripped apart by the double-edged sword, and even her teleportations became predictable and ineffective.

The momentum that had once surged forward faded, gradually pushing her back…

“The winner is Luska Mad Eye!”

The professor’s declaration rang through the air.

Ultimately, it was Trisha who collapsed onto the circular floor.

It looked as if she had been struck with a final blow, with a lump on her head like a mushroom sprouting.

However, recognized for her prowess, Luska extended her hand.

“You passed. Despite the challenges, I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Does that mean if this mission goes well, I can return to our room…?”

“Shut it.”

“Hmph…”

As Luska raised an eyebrow and forcefully objected, Trisha slumped her shoulders.

Her personality certainly remained unchanged.

*

All I knew about Trisha was that she was a talented magic user and the head of the Newspaper Department.

She hadn’t been a recurring character throughout my playthrough, after all.

No background, no age, no specific skills…

Aside from her mention as the head of the Newspaper Department early on, nothing else was revealed.

In the absence of a face, she was barely more than an extra.

For me, it was an entirely unknown realm.

“So, your family is a martial arts lineage handed down through generations?”

“To be precise, it’s more akin to a martial arts organization like the Swordmaster Alliance than a family. My parents are high-ranking officers there.”

After school, our group gathered at the outdoor training area for discussions, allowing me to learn things I hadn’t known about Trisha.

For starters, she also had somewhat glamorous parents, but she didn’t seem particularly special. Such elite backgrounds were common in this academy.

However, what astonished me was the field of her family.

“Why did your parents, who are martial artists, let you join the Magic Department? From what I saw, you would fit perfectly in the Combat Department’s Class A.”

“As Jenny mentioned, I initially trained in martial arts. I endured a tough life since I was little, training with my older siblings. But one day, this talent suddenly manifested within me.”

Trisha spoke while conjuring air magic in just two seconds. She claimed this inherited ability had surfaced during her training years earlier.

At times, magic would burst from her hands while performing thrusts or launch magic missiles.

Her parents were taken by surprise at their daughter’s sudden innate talent.

After pondering how to guide her into a specific field, they decided to let her choose, and without hesitation, Trisha opted for the magic field.

“I was initially worried that my parents might oppose my choice, but to my surprise, they respected my decision. Anyway, I’m not inheriting anything, so I want to live doing what I love.”

“Is that why you became the head of the Newspaper Department?”

“Yes. Actually, my hobby is writing. I heard there was a writing department in the club and joined. I have a self-written novel I’ve been working on, if you’d like to read it…”

“I’ll pass.”

“Tch!”

‘You used to be so supportive!’ Trisha pouted, her face contorted in disappointment.

Hearing this, Jenny shot her hand up.

“Then I’ll read it for you!”

“Really? That would be great!”

“It’s a piece you’ve poured your heart into, so I can’t refuse.”

This is dangerous. I will definitely regret this later.

Unable to take it anymore, I waved between them and told Jenny,

“Don’t do it.”

“Why not again?”

“You should listen to me if you don’t want to regret it.”

Considering Trisha’s favorite genre, it’s obvious that her novel would most likely be a magic-based story.

I had once fallen down that rabbit hole myself, catching ‘infatuation’ disease.

“Hey, friend!~ Come quickly! It’s about to start.”

Mary called me from the center of the training ground as she set up the magic circle. I worried about Jenny’s safety but thought, ‘It shouldn’t be much of a problem.’

I stood in the center of the white magic circle that Mary had built. The holy energy surrounded me, prompting Muto to materialize suddenly.

“What is this terrible energy?!”

“Hang in there for a bit.”

“What?”

Cutting off Muto’s words, a brilliant flash erupted from the ground, unleashing powerful sparks.

Both Muto and I trembled as if electrocuted, engulfed in the column of light, letting out moans of discomfort.

As the column of light subsided, I collapsed.

“Friend, are you okay?”

“I’ll endure it for the mission.”

In the future, I would have to accompany the clerics to capture the prisoners.

It was obvious that if an unholy being like me suddenly appeared before them, I would be classified as a heretic.

Moreover, Muto was a high-level spirit. His power was so overwhelming that it needed to be restrained.

With my current sensing ability, I couldn’t completely erase Muto’s presence. Therefore, I required the help of the genius mage, Mary.

The pain I felt from the flash was in reality a ritual to suppress my spirit power.

Since we were to depart tomorrow, this ritual was essential.

However, the pain was significant.

I ended up fainting from the aftereffects.

*

“You’ve taken an incredibly reckless risk.”

“Yes….”

Radon, who had undergone the Ceremony of Flash, ultimately collapsed from the aftereffects. Our group, filled with worry, carried him to the infirmary.

Feeling embarrassed, none of us could lift our heads.

I wondered briefly if I might not be able to participate tomorrow, but that concern was unfounded. Professor Stella reassured us that everything would be fine by morning.

As a cleric herself, she didn’t scold him too harshly.

“I don’t really blame you. Unlike this academy, where freedom to learn is guaranteed, spirit powers are far from welcomed among clerics. But how did Radon manage to wield spirit powers? And to have even made a contract with that Muto….”

“Because Radon is affected by ■■■■■.”

“What?”

“Ah….”

‘It’s impossible.’ Sighing, Jenny lamented.

Even someone who had never been cursed must never speak of curses. This silencing mechanism vexed Jenny as well.

“Regardless, it’s fortunate that nothing problematic resulted from this. Although Radon’s appearance has changed a bit.”

“Indeed? His hair has gotten quite long.”

“It’s a side effect of forcibly undergoing the Ceremony of Flash. It’s as if he experienced extreme stress, causing his hair to grow.”

“Should we cut it?”

“No. That would only revive the spirit powers that I’ve barely suppressed. We’ll wait until the mission concludes.”

However, that didn’t mean Radon could no longer wield spirit powers. In truth, the Ceremony of Flash changed the color of the spirit power to disguise it as another attribute.

Perhaps that’s why Muto, who used to be a black shadow serpent, now appeared as a pure white serpent. Its form could easily be mistaken for a light spirit.

Also, his power was weakened, so he couldn’t exert as much strength as before.

“….”

Jenny, Mary, and Trisha stared at Radon, whose hair had now turned straight and brown.

“Seeing him like this…”

“He looks pretty cute…”

“He seems a bit feminine, doesn’t he?”

They all chimed in as if they were one mind.

*

Even though it was not winter yet, there were still areas blanketed in snow. Places unaffected by the seasons were quite common on the continent.

The Crevasse Snowfield region was a prime example of this. Near Aramos Town, where it was located, the snowfields were stained with red blood.

“You damned criminal! You dare attempt a prison break?”

The cracking sound echoed from within the dark forest behind the town.

There lay a stronghold for clerics, a facility where thieves captured in this town were temporarily held.

Usually, a thief would plead for mercy with tears, but this guy stood there grinning, seemingly enjoying it.

“The more you do this, the harsher your sentencing will be!”

Crack!—

The sound of a whip wielded by a burly paladin rang out. From a distance, one could mistake it for an explosion.

It seemed like overkill, but no one paid it any mind, as there was no chance of rescuing anyone regardless of the punishment.

“Hey, knight. What’s your name?”

“I have no name to give you!”

Crack!—

The one wielding the whip, the commander of the Paladin squad, ‘Crudy Looming,’ struck again.

Yet, that guy naturally resumed their casual conversation.

“Do you have a daughter? If so, would you introduce me to her?”

“…!!”

Crack! Crack!—

“Or, what was it? I hear a new saint has been born? With fox ears and a tail? She sounds quite a catch. Hehe.”

“You bastard!!”

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!—

As that guy drooled at the thought, Crudy’s eyes bulged with rage. He swung the whip with even more strength and speed.

The thought of someone daring to sully the saint invoked both fury and chills. After all, there were countless women who had fallen victim to this guy.

“Juster Margil, you only targeted our priestesses during the crusades! I knew it for certain after witnessing the blood of those women found in your thugs’ lair.”

“….”

“You incorrigible piece of garbage!”

-Smack!

It wasn’t the sound of a whip.

Incredibly, Juster caught the whip with his teeth and wearied a grotesque expression, radiating disgust.

“Ugh!”

“Come on… if you introduce just one girl to me, I’ll behave myself. Okay? I’m particularly fond of brown straight hair. I have a feeling your wife and daughter might fit that description. Hahaha!”

The more he was hit, the more pleasure Juster seemed to derive; his trial was nothing short of counterproductive.

Even if it weren’t Juster, all the other captured criminals here were the same.

The laughter of the demonic entity donned in a skin suit swallowed up even the sound of the whip.

Surviving as the Academy Scammer.