“What have you done with the students, Leonard Gallagher?”
The academy courtyard was already devoid of students. It was impossible to believe they had simply dispersed. The only person remaining was Leonard Gallagher, Commander of the Royal Mage Corps, who was thought to be the mastermind behind this incident.
Dressed in a robe over his Royal Mage Corps uniform, he knelt beside Michaela Gielen, the deputy commander who was now only upper body. Laurentz and Kirsi, thinking he might be mourning the death of his subordinate, waited without rushing him for a reply.
But in the next moment—flames erupted from Michaela’s body with a roar and burned.
“—What”
“What are you doing!”
Kirsi’s voice, filled with anger, was directed at Laurentz, who was speechless. Leonard looked up at them, his ice-blue eyes fixed on them.
“It’s a measure to prevent further desecration of Michaela’s remains. She, who struggled despite being born into a non-magician family from childhood, burned with ideals and sought to fulfill her destiny.”
“Are you saying it was her destiny to kill the Prince, my dear friend!”
“I am! This country, no, this world is mad. I dreamed of correcting the world, but in reality, someone like me cannot achieve such a great feat. Therefore—I tried to at least correct the country.”
“Nonsense! This country, this world, is not so mad that it must be corrected by killing someone!”
“Laurentz, I find your straightforwardness likable. I truly hope you grow up to be just like this. —However, there are things you, who were raised in privilege as the eldest son of a Count family, cannot yet understand. Be silent.”
“—”
Clearly patronized, Laurentz’s face flushed with anger, but he quickly regained his composure. He knew his own flaw of easily becoming hot-headed. He also knew it was fatal in combat. With a clear enemy before him, he desperately wanted to avoid losing his composure.
“Oh, you may be more mature than I thought in terms of your mental fortitude.”
“Please stop tormenting my student.”
“Indeed, I apologize. Seeing a boy with a bright future, I can’t help myself.”
“You say that well. I have no intention of debating with you. I will ask one more time, what did you do with the students?”
A cold killing intent emanated from Kirsi. Laurentz, standing beside her, held his breath. In contrast, Leonard’s smile remained unchanged as if he felt nothing of her killing intent.
“The esteemed Sage Santara seems to cherish her students greatly. I have no reason to hide it, so I will tell you. Your precious students—no, those who would have become your comrades have been moved elsewhere. I anticipated you coming since you were at this academy.”
“Do you intend to tell me where the students are?”
“Certainly not. I have a duty to protect my comrades.”
“Protect?”
“Yes, I will protect them. It seems they harbored considerable discontent with this country. The disparity with specially favored students, the pain of being a magician buried among non-magicians—the list goes on, but they all seemed to have some feelings about the country, big or small.”
Kirsi scoffed at Leonard, who spoke nonchalantly with a smile still on his face.
“—Hmph. Perhaps you wouldn’t understand, as you are not a teacher, but teenagers are always dissatisfied with something. You merely guided the focus of the children’s dissatisfaction towards the country and lured them in. The students never became your comrades.”
“I suppose so.”
“Besides, you agreed to all the selections of scholarship students, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. I thought that talented young individuals, including Jared Murphy, should gain practical experience rather than just academic learning.”
“Yet you speak as if you understand the feelings of students harboring discontent. Weren’t you also a scholarship student in your academy days?”
“You knew? However, I can understand the feelings of students harboring discontent. Every generation has its losers. It is the duty of those in high positions to listen to the distant howls of such losers.”
“You—”
Kirsi’s killing intent intensified at Leonard’s remark, referring to the students as “losers.” She had no intention of killing him in his position as Commander of the Royal Mage Corps. While she didn’t care about the reputational damage of a Court Mage killing the Commander of the Royal Mage Corps, he was the leader of the legitimate mages she had finally found. She prioritized keeping him alive to extract information.
—But it didn’t matter anymore. She had seen enough to feel that way.
“This is my final warning. If you tell me where the students are, I will let you live.”
“How very kind of you—but don’t presume that a mere Court Mage like yourself can kill me!”
Leonard responded to Kirsi’s anger with his own fury. The magic overflowing from him became a wave of heat that assailed them both. However, Kirsi swatted her arm sideways, deeming a barrier unnecessary. The burning heat vanished as if it had never been there from the start.
“So that is your answer. Then, I will gladly tear you limb from limb. Pay for the crime of abducting our promising children with your own life.”
“How dare you, a Court Mage who idled around in the position of an academy teacher. Do you seriously think you can defeat me simply because your position is higher?”
“What did you say?”
“You, who became a Court Mage solely due to your extraordinary magic power and skill in developing magical tools—if you think you can defeat me, who has been forged in combat—that is arrogance.”
The heat that emanated once again assaulted Kirsi. But the moment it reached her, it turned into cold.
“—Wh-what… You possess two attributes?”
“The reason I settled for the position of Commander of the Royal Mage Corps—it was all for today.”
The cold air generated ice, and before he could finish his brief statement, over a hundred ice blades were born. Not only Kirsi, but even Laurentz, who had been watching the unfolding events, were surrounded as targets. Before they could erect a barrier to defend themselves, the ice blades would pierce and kill them.
However—
“I was surprised that you possessed two opposing attributes, but that doesn’t mean I intend to lose.”
As Kirsi flicked her fingers, her white coat fluttering, all the surrounding ice blades shattered.
“Hoh, you used a magical tool?”
“Correct. It’s a magical tool that protects the user with sound and magic power. It’s a prototype, but it seems to have succeeded.”
Kirsi held up the silver ring on the finger she had snapped. At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary ring, but if her words were true, it was a magical tool. Furthermore, it was one specialized for self-defense.
“I’m thrilled that the Commander of the Royal Mage Corps is willing to be my test subject—my heart is pounding.”
