Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Lucia Baskerville (2)

“Your instantaneous acceleration, your instantaneous destructive power... you were superior in every respect. At least in that single moment, it would not have been strange to compare you to a Special Grade.”

The moment I heard it, I immediately realized what she was talking about.

She must have meant the High-Rank Black Magic I had cast, ‘Curse of Time.’

“…What are you talking about?”

CRACK.

The ice that had reached my shoulders climbed up to the nape of my neck.

“Just how far do you intend to test my patience?”

“I made a bet with Valak and temporarily handled Demonic Aura. It is not that surprising for a Black Mage to use a demon’s power, is it?”

“You are saying such movement is possible through the authority of a High-Rank Demon? What is the name of that authority?”

As expected of a dragon, her insight was no ordinary thing.

But this was one thing I could not yield on either.

“There is no act more foolish than openly revealing one’s own technique.”

“Hmmm....... So you have no intention of talking? A brat who came to me after a Sacred Mark was engraved on him is acting awfully insolent.”

Levia leaned back in her chair.

“Come to think of it, was it ‘Lucifer’? I heard you told Lucia that the reason you could use Holy Power was because you had contracted with a Top-Rank Demon. Good grief, you made your lie sound very convincing.”

“It is not as if I could tell her that a Sacred Mark had been engraved on a Black Mage, could I?”

After I held a staring contest with the Headmaster for a few seconds like that.

At last, she withdrew the glare she had fixed on me.

“Well, fine. It might have been a Secret Art passed down through House Bayonel, so I will not pry too deeply. It is true that thanks to you, we were able to greatly reduce the damage, so I will let it pass at this.”

“I appreciate that.”

As expected of the head of the prestigious Saengterminum Academy. 

She was magnanimous.

“In exchange, stay hanging there for one more hour.”

That damned blue lizard, seriously.

Whew, fine. 

Considering that I had risked my life and rolled around in the middle of a war, this level of punishment was nothing.

Besides, there was something I had to get from the Headmaster anyway.

Once the Headmaster’s pressure had softened, I quietly broached the subject.

“By the way, about the Pocket Watch artifact you used last time.......”

“Hm?”

“If it has become useless, may I take it?”

***

Ten days after the turbulent Disciplinary Committee ended.

During that time, the season had entered early spring, and the chill of Saengterminum, which had only been cold until then, had eased somewhat.

“Lucia Baskerville, you worked hard going through the Black Magic Department Double Major procedure.”

Professor Dave sat in his office and looked straight ahead.

Although it was the afternoon, when the sun had begun to slowly set, the weather had grown milder, and warm air lingered inside the office.

“You must be tired since it proceeded immediately after your confinement ended.”

“No. If anything, I believe I am the one who has been indebted to you.”

Lucia, who was seated across from Dave, bowed her head.

There was not the slightest disturbance in her seemingly emotionless expression.

“…Even if you are from a Branch Family, I suppose you cannot be looked down on, Senior Lucia.”

She was so composed that even Lloyd, who was seated beside her and was a Direct Line member of the Four Great Houses, expressed admiration.

Dave agreed with Lloyd’s assessment as well.

‘She has truly regained control of her emotions quickly.’

Ten days was a fairly long time. 

During that period, she would have had enough time to stay confined in the Dormitory and calm herself, but still.......

“I am sorry about your parents.”

“…I think it is fortunate enough that it did not go as far as summary execution.”

At this, even Lucia lowered her gaze with a conflicted expression.

Lucia’s charges, as a student, had been settled through the Disciplinary Committee, but as soon as her parents’ physical conditions improved, they were taken to the Dark Empire to stand Formal Trial alongside those who had been believers of the Valak Order, on the charge of having contracted with a High-Rank Demon without permission.

She had been separated from her parents again, so it would have been natural for her to feel troubled. 

Yet she was maintaining this much composure.......

‘Did she say she had been living a hard life since she was ten years old?’

Since childhood, she had acted as a Demon Cult Leader, moving from one job to another in Saengterminum. 

She had even passed Saengterminum’s entrance on her own strength and lived there as a student.

On top of that, at such a young age, she had even mastered ‘Full-Body Demonic Armament.’

There was no doubt that she was a talent it would have been a shame to lose.

“Damon David... I owe that student quite a lot.”

If Damon had not administered emergency treatment with Holy Power, the talent before him would most likely have died.

“Moreover, I heard he took a risk and acted together with Yulia?”

Professor Dave had hinted to Damon that he should keep an eye on Yulia’s actions.

The fact that he had not forgotten Dave’s suggestion and had tried to act together with Yulia was worth a very high evaluation.

That did not mean there was only good news, however.

“Aron Bayonel... To think he had grown that strong in the time I had not seen him.”

Dave’s expression crumpled sharply.

“Tsk. At this rate, I may have to kill Aron.”

“…Pardon?”

He noticed that Lucia had just been considerably shaken.

“What is wrong?”

“Ah, nothing.”

“Well, I suppose you must have suffered trauma because Aron nearly killed you. It is better to shake such things off as quickly as possible.”

“Ah... yes. I will keep that in mind.”

Of course, there was another true reason, but there was no way Professor Dave, who did not know Aron’s identity, could realize that.

With a bitter smile, Dave soon looked back and forth between the two of them.

“Lucia, Lloyd, in any case, you two are both members of the same Four Great Houses, even if one of you is Direct Line and the other is Branch Family. All of you were born with natural talent as children of the Four Great Houses, so I hope you will maintain a harmonious relationship here at Saengterminum.”

After sending the two students away like that, Dave rubbed his eyelids.

RATTLE.

Opening the window to refresh himself, he felt the night wind and let out a faint breath.

“This is a headache.”

Part of it was due to the fatigue from handling the mountain of documents related to Lucia’s treatment together with the professors of the Black Magic Department, but if that had been all, his worries would not have piled up like this.

“He faced three Special Grades alone?”

Even considering that they had become Corrupted Bodies and lost their reason, their physical abilities were still Special Grade.

He had subdued three of those Special Grade Corrupted Bodies without killing them.

Considering that it was harder to subdue enemies who charged in to kill than it was to kill them, that meant Aron’s strength was truly immense.

Whether it had been intentional or not was beside the point.

“…Is he steadily building his strength in order to make certain he takes the life of Yulia, who belongs to the Holy Magic Department?”

Even so, this place was Saengterminum, one of the most prestigious academies on the continent. 

If Aron’s location could be identified, then Dave and the other capable professors would surely be able to subdue him through cooperation.

However, he could not deny that Aron’s growth rate was steeper than expected.

{You look exhausted, Dave.}

“Ah.”

At the strange voice that came from beside the window, he instinctively looked to the left.

That tone was quite familiar to him.

“…It seems you have heard the news, Lady Rienna.”

{Of course I have.}

At the window, ‘Bonribet’ flapped its wings and delivered a voice with its mouth open.

{Even I am surprised. To think Aron would become that strong already.}

“It seems it was unexpected for you as well, Lady Rienna.”

{It is more than unexpected. On top of that, he even erased the Demonic Aura that had spread....... Ngh, even I am curious as to what kind of Top-Rank Demon he contracted with.}

“As you have heard through the letter, we can no longer hide the fact that Aron is here.”

{I suppose not. When I checked separately, I found that the neighboring countries have also learned that Aron is hiding in Saengterminum. Along with the news that Aron is aiming for the life of Yulia Yupiter, who is currently enrolled at Saengterminum.}

“It was fortunate, at least, that there were no casualties. Otherwise, we would not have been able to let this pass so smoothly.”

The words Aron had spoken when he fled the Dark Empire flashed through Professor Dave’s mind.

Even if Aron’s actions had ended well this time, it had only been good fortune.

A Contractor who had contracted with a Top-Rank Demon could do anything.

“Depending on the situation, I may have to call for you or the Lord, Lady Rienna.”

{Very well. I will keep that in mind. Both that man and I still have packed schedules for now.}

Having completed its mission, ‘Bonribet’ flapped its wings and flew into the sky.

Dave closed the window and thought about Damon.

‘...For now, I should share information with Damon about the curse to place on Aron.’

Damon’s actions this time had been quite satisfactory.

If one had received something, it was only proper to give compensation in return.

***

That evening.

“Everyone must know that Lucia’s confinement ended as of today. I even received her promise that she would come back to work this evening.”

Before preparing to open the alley restaurant ‘Wild Hunt’ for dinner, the Head Chef gathered all the chefs and servers slightly earlier than usual.

The eyes of every employee were filled with solemnity and resolve.

“You Saengterminum students! What was Lucia’s schedule at school today?”

“She went through the Black Magic Department Double Major procedure.”

“I heard the professors in that department asked her all sorts of questions, saying a genius like her was rare....... Since she had to move around so busily right after her confinement ended, I think she might be tired.”

“Damn it, this is why prestigious schools are.......”

Before they were Beastfolk, they were employees working at a popular restaurant. 

They took pride in the fact that, when it came to pure teamwork, they lagged behind no one.

This time, that teamwork happened to be focused not on restaurant operations, but on caring for the emotional state of a popular employee. 

However, no one pointed that part out.

“What was Lucia’s expression like?”

“Her expression was normal. It was as stiff as always.”

“Good! That is encouraging news!”

“But since she has been separated from her parents again, would she not be struggling inside.......?”

“Mmmm.......”

“And ‘Aron Bayonel,’ who tried to kill our senior... They say that bastard is still hiding in Saengterminum too.”

“By the way, I had no idea Senior Lucia was a noble from the Four Great Houses.”

“They say she can even use ‘Full-Body Demonic Armament.’ From what I heard, her grade is being readjusted to Grade 1.”

“That really is amazing.......”

Because of this, it seemed the number of Beastfolk students who admired Lucia had increased even more, but that did not matter right now.

“If any bastard so much as opens his mouth to her about her parents, we punish them on the spot! Understood?”

“Yes!”

Thus, they reached the heartwarming conclusion that, for a while, no one would mention anything about Lucia’s parents to her.

However, they had overlooked the existence of a madman who did not care about other people’s circumstances.

Because as soon as the restaurant opened for business, a platinum-blond male student who had come in as a customer casually ran his mouth to Lucia when she came to take his order.

“I heard your parents went to the Dark Empire to stand trial?”

***

“The confinement was pretty harsh. No, I mean, Yulia and I did not even get proper thanks from your parents, Senior. Does it make any sense that they were taken away while they were still under confinement.......?”

As I was grumbling to Lucia, who had been one of the people directly involved in the incident, about the unfairness of the punishment.

CHILL.

“......?”

The more I spoke, the more killing intent from beasts began stabbing into me from every direction, so I looked around.

The servers who had been busily moving about had stopped what they were doing and were all staring at me.

Even the chefs standing near the kitchen entrance were baring their sharp fangs at me from the kitchen.

“...What?”

Somehow, their pressure was even more vicious than when I had come here after being marked on the ‘Blacklist’ before.

No, did I say something insulting?