"Don't lie! You think I'd fall for that?"
"If you're so sure, try sending a signal."
"What?"
Karl stared at Rudger with the gaze of a maniac but Rudger's expression was serious.
"No way."
Karl immediately sent a signal to Pyren. Normally, when he sent a signal like this, he expected to get a response but the result was silence.
Karl pursed his lips because Pyren never failed to reply, even when it seemed like he was playing games.
Still, if he didn't reply, that left only one possibility. Pyren had been tricked.
'Pyren may be a scumbag, but he's certainly capable. He was defeated? How is that possible? Did he send a high-ranking knight?'
Actually, he didn't send a high ranking knight, but a master knight. Of course, Karl didn't know that.
The important thing was that he had now lost all means of intimidating the monster in front of him and the end of those who made threats, without bargaining chips, was usually bad.
"Are you done talking?"
Rudger walked slowly toward Karl.
Karl had the illusion that a giant, like a mountain, was walking toward him, a giant who could crush a man like him like a bug with a simple flick of his hand.
Karl gritted his teeth and pushed away the feeling of weakness.
"No, you won't get what you want from me, no matter what you do."
It was a courageous statement, but Rudger returned it with a cold stare.
"That's what most people say, when they don't know what's in store for them."
"I'm not bluffing! I'm not your average Liberation Army soldier! I've been trained for years, and no matter how much you torture me, I will never open my mouth!"
Karl's voice carried a firm conviction that he could withstand any pain. He even gave Rudger a provocative glare that told him to try it if he could.
"Rudger Chelici, I'll admit that you're very good, but do you really think a mere teacher knows how to get a person to talk?"
"Only time will tell."
With that, Rudger brought his palm to Karl's forehead.
Karl was about to ask what the hell he was doing.
"Cough…"
Blood immediately gushed from his mouth. It wasn't just his mouth. His nose was bleeding, eyes and ears were bleeding, too.
His head felt dizzy and his stomach twisted. His tinnitus was piercing, and he felt nauseous.
Karl still didn't understand what had happened to his body.
"Come on, didn't you say you could handle all the pain?"
"Kuluk! What the hell did you……!"
"You're quite surprised, I'll bet, because what you've just experienced is a new kind of pain that no one has ever known."
Karl glared at Rudger with wide eyes. His eyes were clearly trembling, unlike a moment ago when they had been unwavering.
"What was that?"
"Magic."
"Magic?"
"What else can a magic teacher do but magic."
The magic Rudger used was simple. He used sound magic, derived from the wind element.
Sound, after all, is the vibration of air. If you take that vibration to the extreme, you can inflict immense pain on your opponent, just like he did with the werewolf.
The vibrations within the body would distort the flow of blood, shake the body's organs, and ultimately destroy the brain and semi-circular canals.
"There's no way such magic exists……."
"Of course not, this is a magic that I came up with myself."
"What?"
"It was originally a theoretical technique. I was considering using it, but it's too dangerous, and I didn't think I'll ever need to use it."
But now he used it on Karl.
Karl was dumbfounded. What in the world would a teacher at a magic academy be thinking, studying such a terrible magic?
"Of course, this magic isn't perfect. The conditions are tricky. Since it involves channeling mana into the flesh of the opponent, it's useless if there's mana repulsion happens and it only works if there's direct contact."
As he spoke, Rudger once again placed his palm on Karl's forehead.
"In other words, it's a spell that can only be used at its most effective when all of those conditions are met."
"Aaah!"
Karl let out an uncontrollable scream as Rudger's magic vibrated harshly across his forehead and into his body. He'd thought he could handle most pain, but this was something else.
Karl tried to break free, but as Rudger cast his spell, a shadow rose up and bound his limbs.
"Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Rudger released his grip as Karl coughed up blood.
Karl's head immediately drooped. His mouth was watering from the pain.
"Ugh. Ah, how could a teacher at the Academy……do such a terrible thing…….?"
"Funny you should say that. You Liberation Army bastards did that at first."
"What……?"
"The magic train bombing that happened the day I arrived at Theon. That's what the dying mage said. It's amazing how one organization can have so many shameless bastards."
As he spoke, Rudger stomped his foot roughly on the kneeling Karl's thigh.
"Ouch!"
"The pain you inflicted on my student is not a thousandth of this. But you don't think of what you've done, only what you've received."
"……It was necessary for the good of my people."
"For the good of your people? Your actions are the opposite of what you say you want for your people."
"It's a necessary sacrifice! I had to do it to make the world right, because in order to gain something, you have to lose something."
He cried out desperately. It wasn't going to work, but at least he truly believed it. The endless hatred of the haves and the repetitive self-brainwashing had done that to him.
Rudger growled.
"Is that why you held the child's family hostage, blackmailed him into joining the Liberation Army, and threatened the lives of innocent people who had nothing to do with it?"
"They are the same commoners! They have a duty to overthrow the damn aristocracy and bureaucracy! Compatriots everywhere must unite and struggle for that, it's their duty!"
"……."
Rudger fell silent. Not because he was at a loss for words, but because he didn't feel the need to.
Karl's fierce gaze showed that he meant every word.
Rudger suddenly remembered how he'd gotten involved in this ridiculous incident.
The magical train attack.
Even then, the liberators who had stormed the train had attempted a suicide bombing, sacrificing themselves to John Doe's magic.
People who would go to any lengths to get what they wanted, Rudger had seen them before, much longer ago.
The Holy Land of Bretus with their mindless praise of the gods seemed to be no different from the Liberation Army. Maybe that was why he hadn't tried to convince Karl. Nor did he want to in the first place.
"Okay. Well, I guess I've been wasting my time, since I know what I need to do anyway."
"……!"
It suddenly dawned on him that Rudger had been torturing him for something else in the first place. His face grew pale as he regained his senses.
His skin was pale, but it was bleeding, and it was like looking at a living ghost.
"I look forward to it, may your faith endure more pain."
"……!"
Rudger didn't hear Karl's words, but once again placed his palm on his forehead and the spell was triggered.
* * *
Leo fidgeted with anxiety.
Aidan, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but notice his behavior. He knew how nervous Leo was right now.
Leo had made the right choice, even though he knew he was in danger but that didn't mean he could accept the death of his family.
The Leo Aidan knew was blunt on the outside but kind on the inside, strong on the outside but vulnerable on the inside.
"It'll be fine since Mr. Rudger came forward."
"……."
Despite Aidan's reassurance, Leo said nothing. It was as if he thought that if he opened his mouth now, some misfortune might befall him.
At that moment, Leo's shoulders twitched and his posture straightened. Aidan immediately realized the reason for Leo's sudden change in demeanor.
In the distance, Rudger was approaching.
Rudger had a commanding presence that even from a distance, you could tell it was Rudger Chelici.
At his side was a young, blonde man who moved with him and behind them, two women were following.
"Ah."
Leo's eyes widened as he recognized who Rudger had brought with him.
Leo stormed out and ran toward his family. Stopping in front of his mother and sister, he pursed his lips a few times to make sure they were okay before shaking his head.
"Brother, don't you have something to tell mom and me?"
His younger sister rolled her eyes at him for not saying a word.
Leo's sister had the same hair color as Leo, but she was more of an older sister than a younger sister.
At first glance, Rudger wondered if she really was younger than him.
"Lena, stop in."
It was Leo's mother who stepped in to stop her. She looked quite surprising, even for Rudger.
She looked frail and very young for a mother of two. He knew from the appearance of her son and daughter that her beauty was not normal, but her small size was far beyond her years. If he had to make a comparison, it would be with Caroline Monarch.
Rudger could see that Leo's small stature for his age was a reflection of his mother's.
"Leo must be in a lot of pain, so stop it."
"But mom!"
"Now is not the time to talk about it. You should be thanking him."
Leo's mother, who admonished her daughter, Lena, bowed her head when she saw Rudger.
"Thank you for your help. My name is Helena, Leo's mother."
"My name is Rudger Chelici."
"It's nice to meet you, and I want to thank you again. It's because of you that my family is safe."
"I was just doing my job as a teacher."
Lena and Leo, suddenly realizing the situation, also bowed to Rudger.
"Thank you for helping us."
"Thank you very much."
Leo was especially sincere as he was still gritting his teeth and holding back the emotions that were about to burst forth.
Rudger looked at him and said.
"Looks like our field trip has been ruined."
"You mean ……?"
"Yes, but your family's here, and we can't leave it like this. Leo, get your mother and sister to safety."
Leo's eyes widened in surprise.
Things had worked out in the end, but Leo was still accused of collaborating with the Liberators. However, Rudger didn't hold Leo responsible at all. In fact, he even allowed him to stay with his family.
He should have felt grateful and relieved so Leo couldn't help but ask.
"Why are you doing this…….?"
"Don't you like being with your family?"
"……that's not it."
"Then this is the perfect time to talk about what you've been missing."
"So why would you…….?"
"Leo, that's what family is for."
"……!"
Leo's eyes widened, and then he burst into tears but he quickly dabbed at his eyes with his sleeve and bowed his head to Rudger once more.
"Thank you, really, thank you."
"It's done. Go on."
As Leo moved away with his family and joined Aidan, Passius, who had been a few feet away, approached Rudger and asked.
"This child is still associated with the Liberation Army, are you willing to let him go?"
"Do you think that student is trying to commit terrorism like other Liberation Army members?"
Noticing Leo's joy at seeing his family, Passius shook his head.
"I don't think so."
"That's why."
Passius looked displeased at the remark. He felt that he had been taken advantage of.
"I didn't realize you had so much faith in your students."
"I don't believe in students."
"Then what?"
"I believed in someone who has a family."
"The way you put it, Mr. Rudger must have had a similar situation."
"……."
Rudger didn't bother to answer and Passius wasn't expecting an answer, either.
"Did you get the information you needed?"
"There's going to be a major attack soon. We've wiped out one branch, but there are at least three more like it, and they've dug tunnels under each of their bases, so they're already scattered."
"Do you know where the main targets are?"
"Anywhere with a lot of people, especially the Crystal Palace and the Great Square. There are a lot of wealthy people there."
"Then we'll have to get the word out quickly."
Rudger nodded.
"I'll reach out to the Knights."
"I'll alert our mentors."
The two of them moved off, immediately assigning their roles.
Passius walked away at a rapid pace like a knight and Rudger started to leave, but stopped and looked back in Leo's direction.
His sister arguing, Leo whimpering, his mother smirking at the scene and Aidan who was in the middle of it all, talking to Leo.
Rudger smirked at the sight and continued on his way. His work in the capital was not finished yet.