How to Survive at the Academy Novel

Glast's Subjugation War (8)

The issue reported by the commercial guild's staff was something that was bound to happen sooner or later.

"The news is that the mercenaries hired by the Golden King Elte have entered Acken Island! They're taking advantage of the chaos near the faculty building to seize control of the Sylvania branch of Elte's commercial guild and plan to capture the highest representative, Lortelle!"

"The Elte guild's forces are significantly depleted, leaving them completely defenseless!"

It's a well-known fact that time waits for no one. The reason time seems to fly by for me is probably because of how hectically I've lived my life. Running around day in and day out just to make ends meet, and suddenly, it's the final chapter of Act 2. It feels like just yesterday when Yenika took over the student council and caused mayhem... Juggling exam scores, the storyline, and camp duties, what seemed like a major incident half a year ago is now just a distant memory.

No matter how diligently and thoroughly one lives, things that couldn't be addressed in the rush of life tend to resurface at the most hectic, sensitive times. Act 2 went mostly without a hitch. Even the slight deviations, such as the "Ophelius Hall Occupation" and "The Sage's Seal Scramble," were neatly resolved. However, one glaring issue, left dangling and unresolved from those events, clearly remains.

The Golden King Elte, who was thoroughly defeated in the original story without a chance for recovery, got a bit of a reprieve due to his earlier-than-expected downfall, providing him a last-ditch effort to struggle. This is more a deferred issue than a resolved one.

"Yes, that's right. It seems the Elte guild has completed the dethroning process, but the way they've accepted their downfall so calmly suggests they have something up their sleeve."

"I'm worried that Senior Ed might get hurt because of whatever Elte is planning. That's why I called, to make sure there were no issues with him."

"I see. Given Elte's desperate situation, we can't predict what he might do, so we must always stay alert."

Lortelle mentioned this when visiting the Elte guild. She surely had some countermeasures in mind. Act 2 is the last chance to regroup before the latter half of the storyline begins, where trials become increasingly absurd. It's the period when Taely gains enough strength to stand against the main characters of the storyline. We're almost through the major trials of Act 2. With Glast's defeat, Act 2 should come to a clean and definitive end. We can't let remnants of the past create new variables unchecked.

I've mentioned time and again, my informational advantage, knowing the predetermined flow of the future, is my greatest weapon, an absolute edge that must not be squandered if I am to survive in this world. Those who should exit in Act 2 must do so within it. Elte, a merchant who has navigated the commercial world's challenges, poses a significant variable if he manages to maintain his power. There's no need for detailed explanation; I've experienced enough. Even the butterfly effect caused by a third-rate villain who should have fallen at the story's beginning can significantly shake the world. That's inevitable since that third-rate villain is me.

I'm prepared to deal with and rectify such anomalies. After all, I need to survive. It's not about others; it's my story. However, if it's not me but others involved, the story changes.

Carrying Lucy, I walked towards Taely's group, followed by Lortelle and Yenika catching up in bewilderment. "Stay back, or...!" Taely, holding a sword, shouted with Elvira sweating and glaring at me. Just as Taely was about to push the sword forward, Zix grabbed the hilt, lowering it, and stood between Taely and me. "Senior Ed. We don't want to fight you. We just want to save Aila." "Go ahead. I'm not in the mood to fight anyway." It seems there was a misunderstanding about my intent to fight Taely.