Chapter 60: I Won't Let You Take Him Away
Viktor and Auréliane's gazes turned toward Erika at the sa mont.
The atmosphere gradually grew sowhat quiet.
With both of them staring at her, Erika felt a little shy—but her eyes remained resolute.
Viktor was silent for a mont, then said:
"Erika, you are already my student."
"That's not what I an!"
Erika said, a hint of urgency in her voice.
"The knowledge the Academy teaches is straightforward enough—I'll be able to learn all of it sooner or later."
This was not Erika boasting. Across the entire Royal Magic Academy, even students in higher years than Erika were mostly only 1st-Tier Mages, with 2nd-Tier Mages being rare.
Erika had been enrolled for less than a year, and had already reached the 2nd Tier.
The Academy had nothing left to teach her—otherwise, Erika wouldn't have been coming to Viktor every evening after class for Supplentary Lessons.
Her talent was plain for all to see.
But no matter how high one's talent, after several brushes with life and death, she had co to understand sothing very important.
No matter how much simulated training one had undergone, no matter how much knowledge one had accumulated, no matter how many spells one had mastered—
An Academy-trained Mage was destined to fall short of a Mage who had been forged through countless real battles.
Whenever she recalled those consecutive situations where she had nearly died, Erika felt a wave of lingering fear wash over her.
She was still too weak.
Viktor stood up and looked down into her eyes.
Perhaps startled by Viktor's faint, ever-present air of cold detachnt, Erika stepped back half a pace—but she still t Viktor's gaze without a trace of timidity.
She wanted to beco stronger!
But……
"I won't take you as my disciple."
Viktor rejected Erika's request.
His swift decision left Erika montarily stunned, and a faint chill passed through her heart.
For so reason, a wave of grievance welled up inside her.
But she didn't show it. Even as tears glimred at the corners of her eyes, she was utterly unyielding—head raised, looking at Viktor with stubborn defiance.
"Why?"
Even having been refused, Erika wanted a reason.
At the very least, she wanted to understand where she fell short.
Viktor said plainly:
"Always rember—you are the Duke's only heir……"
"Then I'll go and persuade him!"
There was undeniable confidence in Erika's voice.
"I can definitely persuade Father. I promise."
Viktor narrowed his eyes, and a quiet laugh escaped through his nose.
"Is that so?"
"Then, what cos after—we can discuss after."
Roaring flas suddenly erupted from his body, blazing as though they had set half the night sky alight.
He turned around, gave a slight bow to the sowhat dazed Princess, and said:
"I have so matters to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave early."
"Enjoy yourself, Your Highness."
With those words, his body gradually stiffened, solidifying into a statue cast from ash.
A powerful gust, sharp as a blade, peeled his body away piece by piece—until it scattered completely into the air, carried off by the wind.
Just like that, he dissolved into ash and vanished from the banquet hall.
Erika stood in place, montarily stunned.
Had Viktor…… agreed?
She wasn't certain. But at the very least, she now had a goal.
To persuade her own father!
But just then, the Princess's soft, delicate voice rang out:
"I know you. You're Erika—Erika du Chloe."
Erika snapped back to her senses and looked toward the Princess. Only then did she rember that she had yet to greet Her Highness.
In terms of noble etiquette, that was undeniably sowhat discourteous.
She had just begun to bow when she noticed the Princess staring at her intently.
Her expression was not particularly friendly.
"Everyone outside says you're the most gifted young talent in the Royal Capital."
Indeed—soone who could beco a 2nd-Tier Mage at seventeen was far from common.
Erika's talent was already a rarity among rarities.
"Your Highness, you……"
Erika had just begun to reach for so pleasantry to smooth things over with this Princess she had barely t—when she heard her say abruptly:
"Are you trying to steal my teacher away?"
Erika froze. She then heard Auréliane's voice, with an edge of displeasure:
"I won't let you succeed. You won't be able to take him."
"Under his guidance, I will beco an existence more gifted than you—and let everyone know who his finest student truly is."
Auréliane said no more. Graceful and poised, she rose to her feet, turned, and left.
Without giving Erika even a mont to respond.
Erika watched the other girl gradually disappear, and found herself unable to say a single word.
***
Outside the Imperial Palace, the night air suddenly burst with tiny sparks.
Crackle—crackle—
In an instant, the sparks beca a wall of fla.
Several tongues of fire ignited from thin air, coiling and twining around one another, gradually giving shape to the silhouette of Viktor.
Viktor raised a hand, and those flas beca a black Coat that draped itself over his shoulders.
Weija, perched atop a post, flapped his wings and flew onto Viktor's shoulder.
"You sure took your ti. Did sothing interesting happen at the Imperial Palace?"
"The Emperor asked to be the Princess's teacher. I accepted."
Weija gave a curious look, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh? Riding on connections now, are we?"
Viktor paid him no mind. The Crow launched into a stream of complaints:
"In the end you're still going to rely on anyway. I think your Academy should give a title too."
"Hmm…… how about—the Great Professor Weija!"
A blue Teleportation Formation lit up beneath Viktor's feet, and man and Crow alike dissolved into the darkness of the night.
***
It was nearly midnight when Leah finally rode her Carriage back to the Manor.
Socializing with a crowd of nobles was genuinely exhausting—nothing but empty pleasantries from start to finish, all of them attempting to get close to the Clavena Family.
Dealing with all of that had left her both ntally and physically drained.
She had originally intended to drag her aching body over to find Viktor so they could head ho together, only to discover that Viktor had already slipped away long ago.
After returning ho and changing her clothes, she made her way to the Training Ground—and only then finally found Viktor.
Viktor was still there, practicing with a sword in hand. His every movent carried a certain quality that, to Leah's eyes, actually seed rather convincing.
But the mont she rembered that Viktor had gone ho without waiting for her, a flicker of annoyance arose, and she couldn't help but get in a few sarcastic words:
"What's this? Is our household's distinguished Mage planning a career change?"
Viktor didn't respond. He simply saw that Leah had returned, and sheathed the Silver Blade.
But this ti, he did not hang the sword back on the wall.
The longsword vanished from his hand, stored away into the Player-exclusive Inventory.
"You're back. Then let's get ready to set off."
Leah was mildly taken aback. Truth be told, she had originally planned to depart that afternoon, expecting to arrive at the Territory by early the next morning.
Setting off now by Carriage for the Clavena Territory would already be cutting it rather close.
But not long after Viktor's words fell, a blue Magic Formation lit up beneath his feet once more.
This one was far larger than any she had seen before. The Runes and patterns upon its surface were sharp and clearly visible.
A trendous surge of magical energy burst forth from beneath the ground in an instant. A luminous blue Teleportation Formation of staggering scale climbed from the earth and shot upward into the sky.
The fierce winds it unleashed sent Viktor's Coat whipping violently. The black fabric billowed and snapped around him. Leah's long hair, hanging loose, was lifted and tossed by the gale.
Soon, the wind gradually stilled.
As points of blue starlight slowly enveloped both of them, a blue Teleportation Formation began to take shape above their heads as well.
Leah stood there, stunned, and asked Viktor:
"What is this?"
Viktor didn't look at her. He simply explained in a level tone:
"I spent 2 hours constructing a two-way Teleportation Formation here—linked to 'Blairstone'."
Blairstone was a city within the Clavena Territory, the second most prosperous city after the Royal Capital.
Viktor's hotown was there.
Leah was briefly startled.
"So you ca back early specifically to do this?"
Viktor said nothing—which was as good as confirmation.
Leah fell quiet.
The mont she thought back to how she had been blaming Viktor for not waiting for her, a faint guilt stirred in her heart.
She stepped inside the Formation, feeling the overwhelming surge of Magic Power wash over her.
Even though Leah was no Mage, that terrifying volu of Magic Power made Viktor's strength unmistakably clear.
"The Teleportation Formation will hold for a full day."
"If everything goes smoothly, we should still be able to use it to return tomorrow."
Leah nodded. The next mont, the 2 Formations gradually rged into one. Both figures, along with the Formation, dissolved into a scatter of star-like fragnts and vanished—transford into a streak of blue light that shot off into the distance.
Behind them, a return Teleportation Formation remained in the spot where they had stood, growing dim and faint, concealing itself from sight.
***
Into a dimly lit room, a group of people wearing hemp-colored hooded cloaks swept inside.
Every one of them had concealed whatever features might identify them, leaving only their assorted pairs of eyes exposed. The room contained nothing—everything that could be taken appeared to have been stripped clean, leaving only 4 bare walls.
As though soone had anticipated this and prepared in advance.
Leon swept through the room, surveying everything. She listened to the report from a subordinate at her side and gave a nod.
"Any leads? Do we know where he went?"
"He may have already left the city, but by our calculations, he shouldn't have made it out of the Territory yet."
Leon let out a quiet breath of relief and said:
"Good. Young Mistress thought ahead."
She reached to her waist and drew out an ancient bronze disc. No directional markings were engraved upon it.
A half-pointer indicated a single direction.
The subordinate looked at the device in Leon's hand and imdiately knew what it was:
A Rune Tracker.
Leon began to speak in an even tone:
"Miss Leah had every rchant who does business with the Territory sign a Magic Contract. As long as they remain within the Territory's boundaries, this device can be used to track them."
Everyone present had a mont of sudden realization. The eyes peeking out above their concealed faces nearly all lit up with stars of admiration.
"As expected of Miss Leah!"
"Thank goodness Miss Leah thought ahead!"
"I'm so envious of Lady Leon—she must use this thing every day to keep tabs on Miss Leah's location!"
The others instantly turned their gazes toward the last person who had spoken.
Leon waved a hand without a care. Then, all of a sudden, a point of light blinked on at the edge of the Rune Tracker.
The light had an unusual quality to it. Those around her found it strange—but Leon took one look at it and put the Rune Tracker away.
She gave 2 quiet coughs, as though nothing whatsoever had happened, and issued orders to the others.
"You go on ahead and give chase. I need to make a stop first."
With that, she flipped out through the window. Her movents through the night air were like a nimble leopard—and in the blink of an eye, she had vanished beneath the darkness.
***
The blue light gradually brightened. Viktor and Leah appeared together in the rear courtyard of the Clavena Manor.
The rear courtyard was spacious and wide. Compared to the secondary residence in the Royal Capital, this place was larger—and more magnificent.
In the night, fireflies drifted through the courtyard in soft, wandering clusters, like a private starscape floating above the lawn.
This was Viktor's hotown.
Even if he had few mories of it.
From what he could recall, he had only been here a handful of tis—during side quest investigation missions.
Having been in the Royal Capital one mont and then suddenly back in the Territory the next, Leah couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of wonder.
"Magic is so convenient."
The Formation gradually dissolved into the lawn and hid itself away. Viktor's voice followed right after.
"Do you need my help?"
"What, looking down on ?"
Leah gave Viktor a sidelong glance and said with casual indifference:
"Catching so petty embezzling thief—if we had to bring in our household's distinguished Mage for that, it would be far too generous to the other party."
"Just go sleep in your room and wait for to co back. Oh, and—you still rember where your room is, right?"
Viktor gave a nod. Since Leah didn't need help, he trusted she could handle everything herself.
If it really was Chuer, the resources Leah could mobilize would be more than sufficient to bring him under control.
And if she couldn't handle it…… Viktor glanced at the glove on Leah's right hand.
The Mage's Hand would tell Viktor if Leah encountered any danger she couldn't resolve.
Leah said nothing more, and left in a hurry.
After she was gone, Viktor remained standing in place, unmoving.
Weija stood on his shoulder, peering curiously at everything around them, and said:
"So this is where you used to live. It really is quite large."
Viktor didn't respond. This puzzled Weija sowhat.
"What are you doing? Why are you just standing there?"
"Don't talk. I'm trying to figure out where my room is."
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