Chapter 121

Bellen barely managed to stand, leaning on her sword in the corner of the training yard.

“Ugh, my back…”

The internal injuries she had sustained while fighting the Bone Dragon had yet to heal.

On top of that, she was exhausted from cutting down undead as she advanced.

Then Felia grabbed the sparrow statue, and a barrier appeared.

It was good that she had mustered the last of her strength to swing her sword several times and break the barrier.

The problem arose the moment she plunged her sword into her thigh.

As soon as Felia held the magic tome in her hand, a giant black hand snatched her up and threw her here.

“That damn woman…”

Fortunately, Felia couldn’t walk and was crawling away slowly.

Dragging her aching knee, Bellen trudged after her to finish the job.

***

There is a fountain at the top of the stairs leading to the citadel.

Felia, clutching the Crimson Magic Book, crawled along the ground.

Her right leg, pierced by the sword, didn’t move at all.

It wasn’t just because of the injury.

The part of her leg that held her lingering thoughts had completely burned away, severing all sensation.

‘If I keep getting cut by that sword, I’ll be completely obliterated.’

Felia pushed herself to crawl faster with all her might.

The sparrow statue had been shattered, and the mana left in the magic tome was nearly gone.

When that old woman reached her, she would die this time without even putting up a proper resistance.

“Agh.”

Tears welled up in Felia’s eyes.

Her nails broke as she scraped along the ground, and her knees stung from being scraped.

But the fountain wasn’t far off.

If she could just make it there…

At that moment, a wave of regret washed over her, and she paused mid-crawl.

Luon was nowhere to be seen.

Realizing that the wish she had so desperately clung to was no longer attainable drained her of all strength.

‘So, Luon is…?’

Felia pressed her forehead to the ground and thought.

‘Maybe it’s for the best.’

If she erased her memories and created a new body, she would forget these feelings as well.

That was the original goal anyway, just going back to the beginning.

But why couldn’t she find the strength to move her outstretched arm?

Feeling herself grow cold, Felia closed her eyes.

‘…What a joke. I never imagined I’d come to understand that hypocritical woman’s feelings. In the end, I’m just like Felia, the real one.’

That woman also gave up everything, consumed by the despair of never being able to meet her master again after being confined in the special ward.

Thud.

Footsteps approached.

It seemed the old woman had arrived.

Felia resigned herself and released all the tension in her body.

Thud.

Suddenly, her ears perked up.

This sound, the direction it was coming from, it was like someone was stepping on stairs.

If it were the old woman, the sound should have come from behind, where Bellen had sent her flying to the end of the training yard, but why…

‘Why is it coming from in front?’

At that moment, a droplet brushed against her cheek.

She wiped it with her hand, and it was red, like blood.

Felia slowly raised her head, her eyes widening.

Luon Al Vanas.

He was looking down at her, his face almost lifeless.

“Felia, what are you doing here?”

“Luon…”

Luon’s condition was dire.

His arm, perhaps broken, was healing before her eyes, but blood continued to pour from the area near his heart.

“I look awful, don’t I? I couldn’t come down the stairs properly in this state.”

Luon, breathing heavily, lifted Felia into his arms.

Startled, Felia looked at him and asked,

“Did you… fall from the 12th floor?”

Luon nodded his head.

Then, moving his trembling legs, his pale blue lips parted slightly.

“The fountain… the place you said you’d wait was the fountain.”

Luon, holding Felia, staggered up the stairs, barely keeping from collapsing.

When they were halfway up, he asked,

“The medicine is still here. Let me know if you need it.”

“…Just hold onto it for now.”

Felia spoke curtly, curling up her body.

Pressing her face against Luon’s chest, she listened to the faint sound of his weakening heart, feeling as though she was floating.

Thud.

Luon stopped at a certain point and said,

“We’ve arrived.”

But then, Luon let go of her.

With a thud, Felia landed on her bottom, tearing up and huffing angrily.

“Ouch! That hurt! Is that any way to treat a lady?”

“I don’t have the luxury to care about that.”

As Luon spoke, he was gazing at the fountain.

Turning her head, Felia’s eyes trembled.

“It seems waiting here was the right answer after all.”

The old woman was sitting on the edge of the fountain, glaring at them coldly.

She stood up and spoke to Luon.

“Luon Al Vanas, was it? Make your choice. Rot in the Punishment Cell for your transgressions, or die right here.”

Luon answered with an indifferent expression.

“Does it look like I have a choice?”

The old woman blinked slowly.

“Hmm, I didn’t notice in this dim light.”

She seemed to realize that Luon was on the brink of death after seeing his chest.

“It’s not because of your poor eyesight?”

Luon said sarcastically, watching the old woman walking tiredly toward them.

Step, step.

Felia, her face pale, clutched at Luon’s trouser leg, sobbing.

“W-Wait. I’ll repent. You can punish me, just please listen to me for a moment. Sniff…”

Bellen frowned.

“Repent now? Get out of that woman’s body right now!”

“Alright. Alright… I’ll really come out, just give me a moment. I have something to say.”

As Felia wailed and pleaded, Bellen paused to think.

She didn’t want to cause any more harm to that body.

Luon was on the verge of death, and the dark energy radiating from the woman had weakened considerably.

‘She probably doesn’t have the strength to pull anything foolish.’

Bellen extended her finger and spoke in a chilling voice.

“You have exactly one minute. If you break your promise to come out peacefully, I’ll make you beg for death.”

Felia gulped and looked at Luon.

“Luon, can you help me sit by the fountain? I’ve wanted to cool off in the cold water ever since I got burned.”

Luon sighed deeply and lifted Felia once more.

As they neared the fountain, Felia expressed her gratitude to Bellen.

“Thanks for your consideration. So, what I wanted to say is…”

With a shy expression, Felia cautiously opened her lips.

But then her face turned mischievous, and she stuck out her tongue.

Bellen, momentarily dumbfounded, widened her eyes, only to be blinded by a brilliant white light emanating from the fountain.

“Ugh! Wh-What is this?!”

All that echoed in Bellen’s ears was Felia’s mocking laughter.

“You were tricked, old hag. And repentance? I don’t do that. The world is survival of the fittest, the weak get used by the strong. How could you have lived this long and still not understand that? Hahaha!!”

“You little…!”

Bellen quickly drew her sword and swung it toward the direction of the voice.

But all she hit was empty air.

“Let’s go, Luon.”

“I’m a dying man. Is there really any need to go?”

“You fool. I’m a woman who knows how to form a body. You think I can’t create something as simple as a new heart?”

With those words, the voices ceased.

As Bellen’s vision gradually returned, she fumed in anger at the vanished pair, slicing the fountain in frustration.

“Damn it all!!”

***

Frost Heart had been bustling with people since last night and remained chaotic until the next day.

The students in the dormitories didn’t look much better either.

Judging by the dark circles under their eyes, they likely spent sleepless nights in fear that they might die.

The others were either fighting undead or standing guard inside the barrier, so it’s no wonder they were worn out.

Our incompetent professors sighed as they looked at the black ash that covered the ground like snow.

Rockefeller’s expression, in particular, was priceless.

Dealing with the cracked training ground and the damaged buildings was going to be a real headache.

Especially in front of the neatly sliced fountain, where his eye twitched as he asked Bellen,

“…Sir Bellen, do you know why the fountain ended up like this?”

“They did it. I’m sorry about that. I tried to stop them, but I was too far away.”

I found all of this out while heading back to the dormitory after leaving the citadel.

But Bellen caught me, and I ended up hearing some shocking news.

“Pardon?”

“I said they disappeared without a trace from the fountain. How many times do I need to tell you?”

Who would’ve thought the fountain had such a secret?

I suspect that since it was a structure built during wartime, it might have been used as a shelter.

Felia, who knew the academy like the back of her hand, must have used that to her advantage.

“Still, it’s hard to believe. I never imagined that my great-aunt would let them slip away…”

“And where were you? You should’ve come and helped! What exactly were you doing?”

Well, I had gone to retrieve Felia’s staff.

“Ah, yes… Understood. You must’ve had a rough time. I’ll head back to rest now.”

As I turned to leave, Bellen grabbed my shoulder.

“Before I forget. That power you used when you defeated the Bone Dragon… When did you acquire it?”

“Let go of me. My head is really killing me right now.”

I quickly brushed her off, and Bellen frowned.

“You sly brat, trying to escape again like this?”

“I’ll explain next time. You’ve had a tough time too, great-aunt, so please get some rest.”

I’ll need to come up with a plausible story to explain things later.

***

The next day brought quite a bit of news.

Arkandric, who had been locked in the iron box, was discovered and released by a professor who searched the training grounds.

By the day after tomorrow, the professors will likely lift the spell, and Arkandric will finally be able to breathe fresh air again.

There was even an official announcement detailing the extent of the damage.

It included information about which floors and buildings would be out of use for the time being.

Once the repairs to the buildings’ cracks and the training grounds were finished, they would be reopened.

Of course, the historically significant artifacts couldn’t be repaired, so Rockefeller must be in agony.

“Sigh, trouble has hit that guy, but there’s no time to enjoy it.”

And rightly so, because even though I made it through the first act by playing recklessly, the boss somehow survived and escaped.

I tried to think positively, wondering if a reunion after graduation might benefit me, but thanks to Felia, I just couldn’t.

If she was going to leave, she should’ve done it quietly. But no, she took the Crimson Magic Book with her.

Even though it’s not crucial for the future boss fight, it’s still an important item.

“Ah, just thinking about it is giving me a headache again…”

I silently prayed that the professors sent to search for them would capture those two.

At the very least, I hoped they’d bring back the magic tome, but that was probably just wishful thinking.

Catching Felia, who knows the citadel’s layout better than I do, is next to impossible.

“Sigh.”

There was no point in thinking about it right now.

To clear my mind, I decided to visit the lobby of Schlaphe Hall.

I needed to check on how everyone was doing.

Thankfully, the lobby was peaceful.

I was worried someone might be boasting about taking down the Bone Dragon, but Ricks’s group sat slumped in their chairs, muttering gloomily.

“I didn’t even get a sip of alcohol.”

“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve drunk as soon as we got there, right?”

“Ah, I only managed to get one plate from the buffet.”

As they continued to lament, Gravel spoke to Ricks.

“Ricks, why have you been so quiet?”

“…Sorry, Gravel. I wanted to lighten the mood, but I just don’t have the energy.”

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