Volume 3 Chapter 35 First, Third, and Fifth Talk： What Will You Say Happened to Her After We Broke Up？
"Ugh!"
The sound of an explosive impact echoed around me, and the bullet aimed at me struck not my vital point, but my left arm.
I instinctively shielded my head with my left arm and my heart with my right, which saved me from instant death, but the searing pain forced me down to one knee.
The bullet had hit precisely in the middle of my forearm.
I wondered if the bone had shattered.
Yet, perhaps it was because it hit bone that my head was spared from harm.
"You managed to block it, huh? How disappointing."
The figure in front of me, the one who pulled the trigger──my "teacher"──shrugged playfully.
There was something chilling in her complete lack of malice.
"...What do you mean?"
I questioned the "teacher" before me.
Confusion overshadowed any feelings of sadness or anger in my heart.
I couldn't believe that someone who had acted as a guardian for just 3 years could do something like this to me.
"Oh, Ryuuji. You still don't get it, do you? Or haven't you heard it from Lene?"
Tossing the misfired Alchemist's Gun aside like it was a toy, my "teacher" said this with an air of boredom.
Even though her ambush was half-hearted, she showed no signs of unease.
It was as if I didn't even register as an obstacle in her eyes.
I didn't want to think about it, but Lene had called her "big sister."
In other words, the person standing before me, my mentor, was──
"Emerada, the Dark Mage."
"That's correct. ...Oh, don't misunderstand. I only became a Dark Mage after I parted ways with all of you."
"Heh," she let out a small laugh—"Teacher"—no, Emerada revealed the truth.
So that's how it was.
What happened to her after we parted ways?
She was the one who turned our despair into hope. And yet... was there a despair so deep that it led even her to fall into darkness as a Dark Mage?
...Come to think of it, "Teacher" is a magician, but also a priest.
Lene's older sister, Emerada, was also a priestess of Sigmund, the God of Light.
An elven priestess is rare—perhaps I should have realized it sooner.
"Killing Ferron and Adiliana, too. And destroying Adiliana, who I painstakingly brought back to life. You've caused quite a lot of trouble, Ryuuji."
"...Playing with people's lives and then making light of it. You're out of line."
I took a deep breath and pushed myself up, my left arm throbbing.
I glared at the elf before me.
Looks like I won't be able to use my left arm properly.
At least it's not my dominant arm.
But I can't let this go. No matter what she was to me, she's our enemy now. I have to kill her.
This arm injury is nothing compared to what needs to be done.
"Oh my, what a way to address your teacher."
"After trying to kill your students, what are you talking about? No, it's worse than that. Kidnapping Lene, injuring Belle and Ai..."
Even if I let go of everything else, hurting my family is unforgivable. It's a death sentence.
A thousand deaths wouldn't be enough.
"Lene is my precious little sister. I couldn't entrust her to such a foolish student who consorts with those in power. I honestly planned to kill all of them, but I spared them because Lene begged me."
Emerada's eyes turned cold for a moment.
It was like the eyes of a cold-blooded killer, something I'd never seen in her after all the time we spent together.
Seriously, it's as if you have a grudge against the powerful.
Could it be that this is why she fell to the Dark Mage's side?
...wait a second.
Dark Mage?
Doesn't that seem a bit odd?
"...How did you break Suzu's barrier? Even you shouldn't have come out unscathed trying to destroy that!"
I've heard that the barrier Suzu set up around our home inflicts a kind of backlash curse if you try to break it.
So why's the Dark Mage standing right in front of me looking perfectly fine?
"Oh, that's because──"
Just as Emerada was about to say something, I heard multiple footsteps approaching from the mountain path behind us.
I cast a quick glance in that direction to confirm.
But when I saw the figures making those footsteps, I couldn't believe my eyes.
"Lady Emerada, it was this way, then. ...Oh, you've already arrived, enchanter Ryuuji."
"Ferron, and Adiliana...?"
Faced with the impossible scene, all I could do was call out the names of those I was sure we had killed.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)