Volume 3 Chapter 36 In a Desperate Situation, I Entrusted My Life to Lene
"Oh dear, you look utterly ridiculous, enchanter Ryuuji."
Adiliana chuckled to herself, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
She was a woman who had once returned from death, only to melt away due to some strange trap.
"Yeah, it seems hard to believe we're really standing right here in front of you."
The unpleasant laughter came from Ferron.
This was the man who'd been shot in the forehead with an Alchemist's Gun and had his heart pierced by Minori.
I was confused, but I glared at the Dark Mages in front of me while stepping back to shield Lene behind me.
Three Dark Mages?
This was completely unfair.
Even if I wanted to run, I couldn't leave Lene behind.
This was a hopeless situation.
"Why are you two still alive? Or have you come back as undead once more?"
The questions piled up in my mind, but I decided to start with that one.
I knew Ferron's body had been burned to ashes, and Adiliana's undead form had melted away, with her Magic Core shattered before being entrusted to Your Excellency, Duke Hoffman.
So, there was no way they could have returned.
Ferron and Adiliana exchanged glances before shrugging their shoulders.
Were they unwilling to answer, or did they not have the right to respond without their master's permission?
"Those 2 aren't the ones you knew, Ryuuji."
"...I don't understand what you're saying."
Emerada launched into an explanation, but I couldn't follow.
Were those 2 different people?
Were they twins, perhaps?
"Ryuuji..., those 2 are... My older sister, using a Mana Crystal, birthed them... as familiars..."
"...Familiars."
Lene explained, breathing heavily.
My unknown 2 people...that's what it means.
It's unbelievable, but Emerada apparently produced human-shaped creatures as her familiars using a Mana Crystal.
How far outside the norm is she going?
Then, at that moment, I noticed Ferron's right arm peeking out from under his robe, charred black.
It looked like it was carbonized.
How did he get such a burn?
"...So, you made Suzu's barrier break for your pawns."
They didn't break Suzu's barrier unscathed. Instead, they had Ferron do it, then waltzed in safely once the danger was gone.
A typical move for a Dark Mage—someone who cares nothing for human lives.
"I don't really like the word 'pawn.' They're both important subordinates of mine, after all."
"Spare me. You're the one who melted Adiliana after she became an undead, aren't you?"
"Because I couldn't have her pass on information. I trust my subordinates, but what if Lene's medicine forced a confession?"
Even to my annoyance, Emerada answered with a cool expression.
She thinks things through.
When she becomes an enemy, she's really terrifying.
My former teacher.
"Well, Ryuuji, it's time for you to take your leave. Since I stirred up Goldmont and created an opening, I'm going to make sure you die."
Emerada crept closer.
Lene, who had somehow managed to sit up, clung to my back.
Lene wouldn't be killed, but if things stayed like this, I was a goner.
"...So you were the one feeding information to Goldmont. You managed to wipe out the entire Shadow Corps and still pulled this off, huh?"
"Oh, you know about that? Well, that's one thing, and this is another. It's business, after all."
Goldmont's declaration of war... it was all this guy's doing.
She still had plenty of other crimes to answer for, but I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to calmly hear everything out.
I opened my magic bag with my unharmed right hand and pointed it towards Lene.
I brought everything, including prototypes, that my wife had made.
I don't know how to use them, but maybe Lene will figure it out.
This is a gamble.
Did Lene understand my intention?
I could've sworn I heard something being taken from the magic bag behind her.
My magic stone would trigger the Dark Mage's "God-Slayer" spell, so right now, Lene is our only hope.
"...Hey, big sister? There's something I want to say."
"Something, Lene? Also, please move away from Ryuuji. It's dangerous."
Emerada was clearly intent on killing me, but she kept a gentle smile for Lene.
I wish she'd be kind to her students too, you know?
I heard a loud inhale from behind me.
Lene seemed like she was about to do something.
All I could do was prepare myself for whatever was coming.
My life rested in Lene's hands.
"I... I don't like you, big sister. Even if I die, I'm on Ryuuji's side."
"What!?"
Emerada froze, looking shocked.
Then, a scraping sound came from behind her, and a white orb appeared in the center of the group.
"So clever, aren't you──!"
In an instant, Adiliana unleashed her golden tendrils, piercing through the white sphere.
But the moment she did, the sphere erupted with a furious cloud of smoke, engulfing the area in a thick, white haze.
A smoke bomb, perhaps, but it meant nothing to Emerada, an elf, with her exceptional hearing──
"Ugh...? What the heck is this...?"
I dropped to my knees, overwhelmed by the sensation that everything around me had turned into a chaotic swirl.
It wasn't just that.
The Magic Power swirling nearby felt exaggerated, and I could hear the frantic cries of Ferron and Adiliana echoing in my ears, as if they too were caught in the chaos.
"...Ah..."
In the blinding darkness, a hand grasped mine, pulling me toward it as if beckoning.
It could only belong to Lene.
With the worst feeling gnawing at me, I relied solely on Lene's hand to guide me through the obscured chaos.
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