Olivier ordered one of the knights to inform his father that Duke Ewing was allied with Leonard Gallagher.
“Let’s rescue Rio. Jidock, please guide me.”
“I don’t mind… will you be accompanying me?”
“Yes, it would be a waste of time to return to safety before I can help. Besides, I have a bad feeling.”
She wasn’t sure if the premonition was about Rio or Jared. However, the unease she felt urged Olivier to hurry.
“Honestly, I object. Inside the mansion, there are enemies everywhere, even if they are unconscious. At least please stay here.”
“I understand your feelings for your family all too well, but if something were to happen to you, I couldn’t face Jared.”
“…I understand. I’m sorry for asking too much. I’ll wait here, so please save Rio—my family, please.”
Accepting Olivier’s plea, Luzer and Laurentz nodded firmly and, taking Jidock with them, headed back into the mansion.
Stepping over the Royal Magician Staff and students who had not yet regained consciousness, they were led to the room where Rio was reportedly imprisoned.
“This way. The Dragon Girl is imprisoned in this room.”
“Thank you. You should head back outside now. I apologize if anything happens.”
“Hehehe, don’t worry about me. If I sense danger, I’ll run away. Besides, I’m curious. Even if she’s a young girl, a dragon is still a dragon.”
Jidock’s question was also Luzer’s question.
Apparently, Jared had fought Rio before. Moreover, he had been defeated by an overwhelming difference in power. Knowing Jared’s strength, Rio’s power was indeed that of a dragon that surpassed humans.
Why such a girl was captured—the answer lay beyond the door.
“There seem to be no enemies. Let’s go.”
As he quietly opened the door, he saw a girl sleeping in the center of a bare, desolate room, enveloped in a sphere of light. It was Rio.
“A barrier.”
“It’s likely for dragons. I’m curious about where on earth they prepared a barrier capable of sealing a dragon.”
“Jidock’s question is valid, but I’m more curious as to how they knew there was a Dragon Girl named Rio in the Alway Ducal Family.”
“They were probably watching. Jared, no, including Pfeil and Rosa, they likely considered her a troublesome obstacle for a long time.”
Luzer answered Laurentz’s question.
While the Alway Ducal Family might have servants, Olivier and Jared’s separate residence had none. There was a maid named Trane Glasler, but she was not a servant but family.
There was no one to betray them.
Therefore, they could only monitor from a distance. Or perhaps they gathered information from the Alway Ducal Family.
It was unclear how long they had been wary of Jared and the others, but they must have had ample preparation time.
“If you want one, dragon barriers aren’t uncommon. This Kingdom of Wethered is on friendly terms with the Dragon Kingdom, so one isn’t necessary, but in countries with many dragon-related disasters, they are things that can be obtained as a matter of course.”
Capturing them recklessly was not an option. Dragons belonging to the Dragon Kingdom that attacked human settlements were targets for subjugation, so a barrier like the one used on Rio was unnecessary. What was needed were personnel with means to attack dragons.
“Leonard also didn’t intend to kill this child. This barrier seems to be protecting them while also sealing them.”
“Hmph. She’s a royal of the Dragon Kingdom, after all. Even if they succeeded in conquering the country, making an enemy of the dragons would inevitably lead to ruin. That’s precisely why they chose capture.”
No one, human or otherwise, would want to provoke the scales of a dragon.
“I’m glad Rio-tan is safe, but the problem is how to release her? Shall we carry her along with the barrier?”
“Hmm. If I touch it, I might get severely hurt. Hey, Jidock Rocco! Don’t try to touch it with your breath coming out raggedly!”
“I-I’m sorry. I just…”
“It’s not ‘just.’ Honestly. Before this pervert does something foolish—let’s destroy the barrier.”
Tiring of Jidock, who was too honest with his desires, Luzer lightly unleashed an electric shock towards the barrier.
When the violet lightning struck the membrane of light, it reacted with a piercing sound.
“Hey, don’t attack all of a sudden! My ears are going to get messed up!”
“My bad, my bad. But I’ve confirmed it. A barrier of this level can be broken from the outside.”
“What? Mine doesn’t seem to work… Luzer, you can do it?”
“It’s an issue of compatibility. Besides, this isn’t my first time breaking a barrier. Fortunately, Rio is protected by the barrier itself, so I don’t think she’ll be harmed. And since there’s only so much we can do here, we have to do it even if it’s a bit reckless.”
Laurentz, hearing no reply and seeing Luzer increasing his magic power, chuckled bitterly, thinking they were both being too reckless, brothers or not.
“I need to gather a bit more magic power. In the meantime, please escort the people inside the mansion outside. I think they might get caught in it, so I’d like you to evacuate outside too.”
“…Excuse me, but how much lightning are you planning to unleash to break this small barrier?”
“Good question. The answer is—with all the power I can muster.”
“Let’s go, quickly! I’m all for pain, but I don’t want to die. If death comes before pleasure, I can’t enjoy anything!”
“How would I know that! Damn it, rescuing people with this pervert… this will be a big debt, Luzer Fischer.”
“Ah, I’ll definitely repay it.”
“Hehehe, you just casually called me a pervert.”
“Shut up, pervert! Stop wriggling and move!”
Grabbing the pervert, who was writhing, by the arm, Laurentz, despite them being enemies, rushed to save lives.
Luzer, left behind, continued to gather magic power and convert it into lightning to destroy the barrier.
All his magic power turned into lightning. Pale blue lightning danced around Luzer.
A single strike, yet a single strike, destroying the barrier with all his magic power.
“Even though I’m acting tough… breaking the barrier might be a fifty-fifty chance.”
The barrier sealing the dragon was that strong.
“Luzer! There’s no one left in the mansion. We’re evacuating too, so you can go anytime!”
“As expected, you’re fast at your job.”
He sent his gratitude to Laurentz and Jidock, who, despite being only two people, had rushed around for over twice as many people.
And then—he unleashed the swirling azure lightning in the room all at once.
