"Kisen Magic Research Division."
At the ntion of the Kisen Marquisate, Luca responded reflexively. Ottbo tilted his head as if amused.
"Huh? You know about them?"
"... I've only heard the na."
They were characters that appeared in the original work.
The Kisen Magic Research Division.
They were renowned for their outstanding skills, matched only by their high pride.
It was also the place the protagonist's sub-heroine wanted to join.
But more importantly, they were a group that betrays the Hernan Empire.
'The Kisen Marquis was one of the mages who betrayed the Hernan Empire during the Empire War.'
Since many mages betray at the start of the war, you couldn't single out the Kisen Marquisate as Demon's lackeys based solely on suspicion.
What Luca rembered was just the protagonist's sub-heroine being very disappointed when she found out that the Kisen Marquisate had betrayed them.
'But are they doing research on the mind?'
That was a bit concerning.
Given that it was ntioned to so extent in the original, you could infer that there were undisclosed details.
Now, the revealed information was that they were doing forbidden ntal research.
'If they're people of the Kisen Marquisate, they could've done strange things to Kirius.'
From seeing Kirius' state in the street market district, it looked less like he was being controlled and more like he couldn't control his emotions.
If that was the case, it was plausible even at this point in ti.
"Is a child of the Kisen Marquisate enrolled at the academy?"
"Yeah. I don't rember exactly what grade, but probably our senior."
Luca's gaze sharpened.
"What do they look like?"
"We're not particularly close to the Kisen Marquisate, so I'm not sure about that."
"Not close?"
"Yeah. Our family specializes in munitions, and they strictly do magic research, so we're just not close. I haven't even seen Marquis Gardaf Kisen's face."
"I see."
It was disappointing, but this much was sufficient for now.
Luca glanced to the side.
"Bella."
"......."
"...?"
Even though Luca called, Bella didn't appear.
"Bella?"
With a puzzled expression, Luca called her again, but there was still no response.
"...?"
Bella had never failed to answer before; he couldn't understand what was happening.
"Bella said she went to inform Professor Kryphi of the situation, right? But Professor Kryphi is..."
At Ottbo's words, Luca slowly turned and saw Kryphi sleeping against a tree.
Luca's eyes twitched, and then he whistled.
Beep!
Whistle, who had been hiding in cloud form, appeared and sat on Luca's shoulder.
"You called, master?"
"Do you know Bella's whereabouts?"
"With my current power, I can't track that woman. I need to grow a bit more."
Whistle answered regretfully.
Luca's brows furrowed.
"Then is there any way to find Bella right now?"
"It's possible, but you'd have to use your life force."
Whistle added hastily,
"Oh, it doesn't consu your lifespan, you'd just get really tired for a while."
"Tired?"
"If it's just using the power of lightning, I can manage with my power. But to cast the thunder web and instantly absorb all the info around here, I'd have to draw on your life force."
At this, Luca took out a vial from his belt.
It was a life force replenishing potion received from Hav.
"I don't care. Do it."
"Got it!"
Crackle!
A blue lightning flashed from Whistle.
An invisible web of lightning spread out in all directions.
Luca felt his life force being drained instantly and felt dizzy but forced himself to bear it and drank the potion.
"Urgh!"
"Lu– Luca! Are you okay?"
"... It tastes terrible."
Even after getting used to it, it was a flavor nearly impossible to swallow.
As Luca wiped his lips, he flinched. His senses connected with Whistle's.
Zap!
"!"
He could sense everything from the academy outskirts to the swordsmanship division.
So much information rushed in at once that his brain almost overloaded.
"Ghh!"
"Luca!"
As Luca clutched his head and collapsed, Ottbo hastily supported him, and Whistle severed the shared senses.
"Sorry, master! I must've shared too much sensation when you're not accustod to it!"
"... It's fine. I found her."
Even amidst disorientation, Luca's eyes sparkled.
In that brief mont, he'd found Bella's location.
Luca raised his head and wrapped his arms around Ottbo's waist.
"?!"
"Hold on tight, Ottbo."
"H–huh?"
Ottbo, startled but instinctively, grabbed Luca's shoulder.
Lightning enveloped them.
Crackle!
At the sa ti, they vanished.
* * *
'Where could Kryphi Mosto be?'
Bella was hiding her presence in the darkness, looking for Kryphi.
'I think I've checked everywhere likely...'
She'd visited the ga zone, Kryphi's private office, the swordsmanship faculty, and other places, but Kryphi was nowhere to be found.
Boom! Rumble-rumble!
"?"
A heavy roar and tremor in the ground.
Bella turned toward the noise, her face showing surprise.
'That's not where young master is, thank goodness.'
She breathed a sigh of relief, then imdiately froze.
Crash!
"!"
A giant fist struck where she had just been.
"Wow! You're fast!"
"?"
A boy's voice, filled with admiration.
Landing-nimbly, Bella saw who had attacked her.
It was far too large to be called human.
Over three ters tall, fists bigger than manholes, massive bulging muscles, and skin as black and glossy as if it was coated in sothing.
It had a human-like form, but its bulk made it more like a troll monster.
Next to it was a boy concealed by a hood and mask.
His face was hidden, but by the build and voice, you could tell it was a boy.
"Hello, servant of Luca Traverse. This is our first ti eting face to face."
"...."
"Haha, not going to answer? So cold."
The boy shrugged casually.
"I was having fun toying with Luca Traverse, but you're too ddleso. I'd appreciate it if you got out of the way."
"!"
Bella's eyes sharpened.
Shing!
Simultaneously, daggers appeared in both her hands.
She spread her stance and lowered her torso.
'That monster is dangerous.'
A monster whose infiltration of the academy was itself a mystery.
The aura it exuded was abnormal.
'Are people distracted by the recent explosion? Even with such a monster here, nobody's coming.'
Bella bit her lip lightly, infusing magic power into her daggers.
Vwoom—
"Oh?"
A blue light swirled around the daggers.
However, it didn't have the stable feel of Kryphi's blackish aura.
The boy looked at it with amazed curiosity.
"An incomplete Ether Blade? So the Traverse family's servant is nearly a master? Impressive."
"...."
"But even if you were a real master, you couldn't beat Donovan."
With that, the boy, Miros, gestured at the transford monster Donovan.
"Donovan. Take care of her."
"Grrgh!"
Donovan let out a low growl and slowly approached Bella.
When it got within a certain distance, Bella's figure suddenly vanished.
"?"
Slice! Slice! Slice!
Suddenly, Bella appeared behind Donovan, slashing its neck and various key joints.
In the blink of an eye, wounds appeared all over Donovan's body.
Fwoosh!
Red blood spurted from the cuts.
Donovan staggered for a mont, then spun with amazing speed for his size, swinging a massive arm.
Whoosh!
But no matter how fast he was, he couldn't catch Bella.
She had disappeared from view again, and Donovan's arm only tore through the air.
"Whoa! Not bad!"
Miros admired, then wore a mischievous grin.
"Let's see how long you last."
Bzzz!
A magic circle appeared behind Miros.
Translucent tentacles extended from it and seized the invisible Bella.
"!"
"Donovan."
"Graah!"
Spotting the trapped Bella, Donovan rushed forward with a howl.
Bella took a deep breath and twisted her body.
Slash!
"!"
In an instant, the tentacle holding her was sliced.
Landing on the ground, Bella charged straight at the rushing Donovan, fist at the ready.
Shk! Slash!
Just before his punch landed, Bella leapt off Donovan's hand and swung her daggers.
The blades whipped up a gust that slashed Donovan.
After landing behind Donovan, she flicked the blood from the blade; the monster was collapsing to the ground.
Thud!
"Hoo."
Bella let out a held breath.
Miros clapped in appreciation.
"Amazing! To wield such power... I see why Luca Traverse trusts you!"
"... Who are you? Why are you targeting our young master?"
Bella spoke fiercely.
Miros chuckled.
"So you finally speak. But there's no point answering your question. You'll forget soon anyway."
"What...?"
"Donovan. How long are you going to lie there?"
Before Bella could finish, Miros called to Donovan.
The collapsed Donovan twitched, then slowly rose to his feet.
'But I cut every vital spot...'
Eyes widening slightly, Bella readied herself again.
"Donovan, surely you aren't going to use second-stage transformation against sothing like this?"
"Grrgh!"
At Miros' words, Donovan thrashed his head and snarled at Bella.
"GRRAAAAAHH!"
"!"
The magic power in his howl pressed down on Bella.
She frowned and tried to hide in the blind spot again.
But Donovan, now clearly faster, swung a fist at her before she could.
She desperately crossed her arms to guard, but when the fist connected, the sound of splitting leather rang out and she was hurled into a wall.
"Keuh!"
Bella gasped, clenching her teeth at the sight of Donovan charging at her again.
Whoosh! Crash! Crack!
This ti, Bella vanished before Donovan's punch could connect.
Instead, his fist split the wall behind her spectacularly.
"She's so-nimble. Even if people's attention is elsewhere, I can't afford for this to drag on much longer."
Hidden in a corner, Bella's gaze sharpened as she watched Miros.
'I'd better take that guy out quickly. Even if I can't kill him, maybe injure him sowhere vital...'
Attacking soone presud to be a student could bring risk to her family later, so she wanted to refrain as much as possible, but she was running out of options.
Bella charged at Miros.
Tap!
With a single leap she appeared right in front of Miros, trying to grab him.
Just then, she locked eyes with Miros, who was grinning as if he'd been waiting for this.
"?"
As Bella wondered at this, Donovan appeared beside them in a blur, moving with a speed impossible to process.
Donovan's manhole-sized hand grabbed Bella's leg.
Grab!
"!"
"Donovan gets stronger automatically if I'm in danger."
With Miros' words, Donovan swung Bella with great force.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!
Her body was slamd into the ground dozens of tis.
Her leg was crushed and left in tatters.
Donovan, still unsatisfied, gave a monstrous howl and pounded her into the ground even harder.
Smash!
"Ooh~ Donovan~ She might die at this rate~."
Miros taunted, sounding teasing.
There was sothing off about him.
Zap!
"Hm?"
Looking sowhere, Miros smirked, then looked at Donovan.
"Donovan. Let's go. We can't run into that one yet."
"Grrgh..."
"It's fine. Like that, she's as good as dead anyway. In fact, Luca Traverse might be even more agitated seeing her this way."
Donovan seed eager to finish Bella off, but Miros shook his head.
"Grr."
"Yeah. Let's go."
Donovan carefully picked up Miros and leaped away from the place.
Within seconds, a flash of lightning blazed as Luca and Ottbo appeared.
"Wh–Whoa?!"
Crash!
Unable to control the speed, Ottbo tumbled across the ground.
He struggled to stand up and looked around.
"This is... Ah?!"
He spotted Bella, battered and collapsed on the ground.
"Lu–Lu...!"
Ottbo was about to call Luca but stopped.
Because the expression on Luca's face as he looked down at the fallen Bella was one Ottbo had never seen before.
"Young... master..."
!
Then, Bella's faint voice could be heard.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Nope, I don't believe Bella would die...
There should be a way to save her...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】
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