Chapter 277: Calm Before the Storm (2)
“Just what in the world happened here……?”
I quietly muttered in disbelief as I looked at the perfectly intact street.
Not only were the corpses and weapons that should have been scattered everywhere gone, but even the traces of the fierce battle had been completely erased.
“…….”
Professor Windymay silently surveyed the spotless street.
As she slowly examined the surroundings, she suddenly flinched and stopped.
She had discovered something that didn’t quite fit.
As if trying to determine exactly what that discrepancy was, her brows slightly furrowed. Seeing that, and apparently misunderstanding the reason, I spoke up as if making an excuse.
“Professor, in case you might misunderstand, I should say that I wasn’t lying······.”
“I know.”
She nodded.
“I don’t think Lian lied. In the first place, I already examined your memories. You definitely fought here—both the Agents who attacked first and the Cardinal. That much is certain.”
“Then······.”
“Most likely, Lian, someone arrived at the scene after you left.”
At Professor Windymay’s answer, I asked back with a puzzled expression.
“…And you’re saying that person cleaned up the scene?”
“For now, that explanation seems the most convincing.”
Muttering that, Professor Windymay slowly extended her hand toward the now spotless street.
She intended to examine it more closely.
Under normal circumstances, simply observing would have been enough, but after the consecutive battles against Archmage Edas and Urkubar, she had consumed far more power than expected. Her senses had dulled in several ways, so she had no choice.
…Could it have been that woman?
Berenistella.
From the moment I first met her, the question that lingered in my mind was why she had moved in the first place.
She bore the title of one of the Eight Demon Lords, yet she had gone so far as to enter a human nation—and not just any place, but the Empire’s capital—using such troublesome methods.
…The situation had been so sudden that it had been easy to brush it aside, but in truth, this was an enormous matter.
The mere fact that she had broken centuries of silence and begun to move would undoubtedly shake the entire continent.
The whole continent… not only humans but even the dragons would likely begin moving, chasing her trail and attempting to uncover her purpose.
And she certainly wouldn’t be ignorant of that fact.
Yet despite all that risk and inconvenience, she had personally stepped into the human world.
“…….”
And although it sounded absurd…
Professor Windymay cautiously suspected that the reason might be Lian Gwendil, who was standing beside her.
During their conversation, Berenistella had casually claimed that she owed Lian a debt. But logically speaking, what kind of debt could someone like her possibly owe a human?
Moreover, Professor Windymay had occasionally noticed that she showed a strange fixation toward Lian.
In the first place, the fact that she had interfered while Lian and I were speaking through the communication channel made no sense.
She had said it was to threaten me, but if her goal had truly been to threaten me, she could have simply dragged Lian—who had been half-dead—and thrown him around to make a point.
But looking back on her actions now…
Yes, it was almost as if she had made him leave the scene first because she didn’t want him to be caught in a troublesome situation.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be heading in a bad direction, so she had pretended not to notice.
But now that the situation had calmed somewhat, Professor Windymay reconsidered that it wasn’t something she could just overlook so lightly.
Her gaze then briefly flickered toward Lian’s collarbone—the place he always tried to conceal.
Could it be because of that…?
Was that the reason Berenistella was so fixated on him?
Putting aside her complicated thoughts, Professor Windymay focused on calmly examining the street.
“Hmm……”
Before long, she realized her earlier guess had been wrong.
If Berenistella had been the one who handled the aftermath, she wouldn’t have left traces like this.
And more importantly, the faint aura lingering at the scene—and the way it had been organized—was something Professor Windymay knew very well.
“…….”
Immediately, she expanded her energy perception to widen the area she could sense.
Soon enough, she located someone who was hiding their presence as if they were dead.
Even if she was exhausted, for someone to approach while hiding their presence to this degree…
That person must be quite skilled.
Or perhaps she had only noticed late because the person had no killing intent or hostility.
“That should be enough. How about we come out and talk now?”
“······.”
At Professor Windymay’s casually thrown remark, I fell silent.
Like her, I sharpened my energy perception and cautiously scanned the surroundings, but because my strength had been so heavily drained, all I could tell was that someone else was present besides the two of us.
“As expected, deceiving an Archmage is impossible.”
Someone who had been hiding finally revealed themselves, muttering those words.
The moment I saw who it was, I spoke their name in surprise.
“…Senior Lancia?”
The person was none other than Lancia Jintia.
After hearing Deiare’s story, Lancia immediately jumped to her feet as if possessed by something and headed toward the Academy.
Along the way, there were still places where the battle had not yet ended and chaos continued, but her mind held only one thought.
She had to reach the Academy.
However, she was already so wounded and exhausted that it could hardly get worse.
In fact, she could barely support her own body—she even stumbled over her own feet while running and fell.
“Ugh……”
While lying on the ground, Lancia began removing her already tattered armor piece by piece.
When she finally stood again, the only thing left in her hand was a sword she had brought along without even realizing it.
“Haa… haa…”
Even after removing the armor, her body still felt unbearably heavy.
She herself knew that in this condition, it would be impossible to reach the Academy.
Moreover, disturbances large and small were still erupting everywhere.
Breaking through all of that and reaching the Academy in time was practically impossible.
“What the—?!”
“You could have at least listened to the whole story before rushing off. You truly are a bold person.”
The one who extended a helping hand to Lancia at that moment was none other than Deiare.
Having rushed over in a single stride, she lifted the half-collapsed Lancia with one hand and placed her on her back.
“I’ll help you.”
She told Lancia to hold on tight, then sighed quietly and reached one hand behind to secure her firmly.
“Why…?”
“Why, you ask…? Would it be enough if I said that I’m facing a similar dilemma right now?”
Deiare replied.
“Just as you’ve begun to question the Holy Sun Church you devoted your entire life to, I too… have started to doubt something that has supported me my entire life. Let’s just say that created a sense of kinship.”
She shrugged.
“Or perhaps you can call it the heart of an educator helping a student. …Leaving the other two behind does bother me a little, but there’s nothing to be done about that right now.”
Clop. Clop.
Deiare stamped her hooves, producing the heavy sound characteristic of a Centauros.
“Now then, I’ll be running at full speed, so prepare yourself. I won’t take responsibility if you bite your tongue.”
“…….”
Lancia said nothing more.
Instead, she simply clung tightly to Deiare.
“Then, let’s go.”
With those words, Deiare sprinted toward the Academy at full speed just as she had declared.
The speed of a Centauros running at full sprint was naturally incomparable to that of a human, but Lancia felt that Deiare was even faster than the rumors claimed.
The sound of wind roared in her ears, and at one point there seemed to be screams and loud crashes somewhere nearby.
Before she knew it, Deiare tapped Lancia’s body.
“We’re here.”
“…Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it.”
Standing in the middle of the Academy, Deiare placed a hand over one eye and gently closed the other.
Then she nodded slightly and spoke to Lancia.
“If you head that way, you’ll find the answer you seek.”
“…What will you do?”
“I must go find my own answer.”
As she said that, Deiare pointed in the opposite direction from Lancia.
“I’ll be heading this way.”
Lancia nodded and expressed her gratitude.
“I truly appreciate your help once again.”
“Take care… Ah, wait a moment.”
Stopping Lancia, Deiare pulled out a bottle containing a potion and tossed it to her.
“Well then.”
“Ah—”
Before Lancia could respond, Deiare had already begun sprinting somewhere at full speed again.
Watching her disappear in an instant, Lancia suddenly realized something.
The Academy was unnervingly quiet.
She couldn’t sense a single presence.
“…….”
Without a word, she drank the potion.
A faint vitality returned to her ruined body.
The dimming flames in her eyes began to burn once more.
Following Deiare’s directions, Lancia began walking toward where Lian was.
And then.
And then……
“…And so I removed the bodies of my comrades and the superior I served. It wasn’t difficult. When you act as an Agent, the very first thing you learn is how to dispose of corpses and clean up a scene.”
Looking at me, Lancia finished explaining why she was here.
“…….”
I stared at her silently.
Her appearance was far too different from the Lancia I had known.
Yes.
She looked exactly like the person I once knew…
The executioner of the Holy Sun Church.
“Junior.”
She gazed at me quietly.
The reason I had suffered wounds just as severe as hers was because I had fought a deadly battle against her comrades.
Although Deiare had given her a hint, she had recognized it the moment she saw me.
“…No, Lian Gwendil.”
Her grip on the sword tightened.
Normally, it would have been right to cut me down where I stood.
But Lancia couldn’t move.
She simply couldn’t.
“I know about you.”
She whispered softly.
“You once said that you could see the future.”
“…?”
I frowned.
I had no memory of ever saying such a thing.
“Do you not remember? When you fought Duval Mackenzie, you said those words.”
“Ah.”
Only then did I remember.
I had indeed thrown out words like that while fighting him, simply to provoke him.
But why would she bring that up now?
Before I could finish that thought, a cold metallic sound rang out.
It was the sound of Lancia drawing her sword.
“Then let’s see if you can predict this as well.”
She raised the drawn blade and pointed it at me.
“What I will do to you.”