Chapter 48: Terror (5)

I didn’t entertain pointless thoughts like, If those two fought, who would have the higher chance of winning?

Clatter was my summoned creature, and Karina Zain was one of the key characters driving the main story.

No matter who won, it would be the worst possible outcome for me.

A truly infuriating, shitty situation.

“Damn it.”

Yeah, it was a mistake.

Ivan wasn’t the only one who had grown compared to the original story.

Whether they were friends, rivals, or heroines, it was only natural that anyone with even the slightest connection to Ivan would be positively influenced.

I had completely overlooked that.

And the fact that Karina harbored an extraordinary hatred for thieves.

“I thought too lightly of it.”

I should have planned more meticulously or at least given Clatter specific warnings.

What good was regret after the situation had already unfolded?

I had to find them quickly before things got worse.

Fortunately, I hadn’t lost my wits and was able to track them down.

Rustle.

Karina, hiding her body, was glaring at the bushes across from her.

I immediately grasped the situation.

Clatter was hiding in the bushes opposite her.

The two were locked in a standoff, each waiting for an opportunity.

Karina was preparing for an ambush.

And Clatter was waiting for Karina to fall into a trap.

Right in front of the bushes, a thin wire—likely set up by Clatter—was strung across.

If Karina moved even slightly forward, the sharp wire would pierce her fair skin in a hair-trigger moment.

But Karina didn’t approach further.

Instead—

Whoosh!

She summoned a long, flaming spear in an instant.

Before I could take any action, Karina hurled it forward.

Boom!

The flaming spear sliced through the air and exploded the moment it hit the thorny bushes.

Karina sprang to her feet.

“Got… you?”

Her triumphant shout fell flat as Clatter emerged unscathed from the flames and bolted away.

“No way! How is there no damage at all…?”

That was my chance.

I hurriedly approached and grabbed her wrist.

Karina, who had been about to pursue Clatter again, flinched in surprise and looked at me.

“…What the? Gerard?”

Her delicate brow furrowed sharply.

“Let go of this right now! You’re making me lose them!”

Karina swung her arm fiercely.

I ignored her and gripped her arm even tighter.

“Calm down and look ahead. There’s a trap!”

“So what?!”

Karina let out a shrill scream.

She glanced in the direction Clatter had fled, but Clatter had already vanished.

A deflated sigh escaped her lips.

“…Ah.”

For a moment, the arm I was holding went limp.

When I quietly released her, her arm drooped like a puppet with its strings cut.

She stared vacantly at the spot where Clatter had disappeared.

Then, her face, as she turned to me, was contorted with a mix of complex emotions.

Anger, hatred, frustration.

“Why did you do that…?”

Her eyelashes, tinged with moisture, trembled faintly.

“Why. Why on earth did you stop me? Why did you save a thief? Answer me, right now or I’ll kill you.”

Each word, spat out as if chewed, pierced my skin like a blade.

“I didn’t save a thief. I saved you from falling into a trap.”

“Don’t give me that crap!”

Thud! Karina slammed her staff into the ground.

In an instant, a spell circle formed, and the flames that had been burning the thorny bushes rose into the sky.

The most powerful magic among Karina’s current Visions, [Berserk Flame].

It was a potent yet dangerous spell, but knowing this performance was merely her way of venting anger, I stayed still.

“A trap? Getting caught in some measly trap is far less important to me than catching a thief! Got it?!”

I understood.

I wasn’t oblivious to her desire to gain fame by catching a thief and exacting personal revenge.

But that’s not my concern.

To me, saving Clatter was far more important than her revenge.

“Who asked for your help?”

“No one.”

“Then? Then why the hell did you do it?”

“I told you. I saved you.”

In truth, this wasn’t just empty words.

Now that I looked closely, the trap wasn’t just a simple sharp wire.

Hydra Venom.

It was coated with that.

If I hadn’t come, Karina would have been poisoned, her body paralyzed, and Clatter might have killed her.

No, Clatter definitely would have.

I had instructed Clatter, “Don’t get caught by anyone during the job.”

“And I’m your senior, aren’t I?”

At my words, Karina let out a hollow laugh.

“Insane. You think I’d consider someone like you a senior?”

“Hmm. Given the current situation, even a passing dog wouldn’t think so.”

Her breathing grew ragged at my consistently calm demeanor.

Just then, Professor Ilai’s voice rang out.

“Karina! Gerard!”

Professor Ilai came running over in a hurry.

She immediately checked our conditions.

“Are you okay? Any injuries? Gerard, come here first. Hurry!”

“…”

Karina, who had canceled her magic, trembled as she glared at me.

Then, with a deep sigh, she mouthed something at me.

“I’ll make you pay for today.”

And with that, she turned and disappeared toward the others.

It was meant as a warning, but it didn’t feel particularly threatening or worrisome, so I didn’t think much of it.

I had achieved my goal anyway.

The mission was a success, and I had made a decent impression on the others.

Sure, I had completely burned my bridges with Karina.

But since she and I were like cops and robbers, I figured a little more conflict wouldn’t be a big deal.

We were never meant to get along in the first place.

At least, that’s what I thought back then.

* * *

“So, to sum it up, you’re saying you did it to save Karina?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

My advisor, Chaser Idna, scratched his cheek, alternating between looking at my face and the report I had written.

Then he glanced to the side.

There, Department Head Pirion stood with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on me.

His eyes were as cold as ice.

Then, he spoke abruptly.

“So you’re saying you already knew there was a trap.”

Though it was a sudden question, I nodded without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I was being cautious. There are many scenarios where a villain turns the tables, but one of the most common is exactly this kind of moment. The moment you pursue a fleeing enemy. In other words, when I mistakenly think I have the upper hand.”

A glint briefly flashed in Pirion’s eyes.

“I was taught never to let my guard down when dealing with villains. So I was more vigilant than usual, which allowed me to notice the trap before Karina, who was solely focused on catching the thief and there was a smell.”

“A smell?”

“Yes. A fishy, dangerous stench you’d only find in an ancient swamp.”

Chaser, who had been listening, chimed in.

“Actually, Professor Ilai said the wire was coated with a highly dangerous biological poison.”

“I see.”

Pirion stared at me intently before speaking in a low voice.

“Well done.”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard and looked at Pirion.

“Well done”?

It was a praise I occasionally heard from Professor Ilai or Baron Tesda, the student affairs head, but Pirion’s carried a different weight.

I knew Pirion was sparing with praise, given his heavy demeanor.

But his next reaction confirmed I hadn’t misheard.

He opened a drawer, pulled out something, scribbled on it with a pen, and handed it to me.

A Merit Point.

Chaser, standing nearby, looked surprised.

“Huh? You’re giving him a Merit Point?”

“He earned it.”

“Wow, nice! Lucky you, Gerard! Didn’t you need credits?”

He was right.

Merit Points.

They could substitute for course credits and were essential for early graduation.

With a mountain of classes I needed to retake, there was no better reward for me than this Merit Point.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected it, so receiving it unexpectedly made it feel even better.

I struggled to keep my lips from curling up as I bowed.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

Pirion waved his hand, signaling me to leave, so I exited the department head’s office.

Chaser, who had followed me out at some point, walked beside me, matching my stride.

“Early graduation, huh?”

I chuckled.

“No way.”

“No way, my ass. You got Merit Points for the Honorary Merit Medal last time, and now this. If Yuria’s grades go up, you’ll get more, right?”

“Yuria?”

“Don’t play dumb. You’re aiming for the Mentor System rewards, aren’t you? Hmm? Hmm?”

Chaser poked my side with a knowing look.

I waved him off, chuckling, but didn’t deny it.

“If I can, I will. I’ve got a ton of messes to clean up from the past. Tsk.”

“Keep at it. I’m rooting for you.”

I looked at Chaser at those words.

He was grinning broadly, showing his white teeth.

Rooting for me, huh.

I hadn’t particularly tried to win Chaser’s favor or build a relationship with him.

But for some reason, he seemed to have a positive view of me.

Baron Tesda’s influence probably played a big part, but I liked to think my efforts to clean up my image had contributed a little too.

It felt… like I was being rewarded for the path I’d walked.

A strange, ticklish feeling stirred inside me.

I just felt good.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention.”

Chaser clapped his hands together.

“Watch out for Allen.”

“Why? Is he having another mental breakdown?”

At my question, Chaser burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.

Come to think of it, there was one thing we had in common that made it inevitable we’d get along.

We both really disliked Department Head Allen.

“Hey, you little punk. Is that how you talk about a professor?”

“Not exactly the words I’d expect from a professor who just laughed his ass off.”

“Ahem. Fair point. Anyway.”

Chaser cleared his throat and continued.

“Allen seems to think it’s your fault Karina lost the thief, so avoid him if you can and don’t even think about going near the west wing for a while.”

The west wing of the main building housed the Psychology Department’s offices, including Allen’s, so the chances of running into him were high. It was practically his territory.

“Got it?”

“Yeah.”

I didn’t have any reason to go there anyway.

I was just grateful for Chaser’s concern.

“What’s next? Classes should be done for the day.”

“What about you, Professor?”

“Me? I’m off work, obviously.”

He flashed a grin and gave a thumbs-up.

“I’ve got evening training with Yuria. But first, I need to grab some food.”

I casually tossed out a lie.

“Busy guy.”

“Gotta be.”

“Heh. Alright, see you later.”

I watched Chaser walk away, waving, then looked up.

The sun had already set, and the sky was pitch-black, as if splashed with ink.

The sight reminded me of someone’s face, probably crouching and waiting for me, so I quickened my pace.

“…Ugh, I gotta hurry.”

I needed to retrieve Clatter from the eastern outskirts forest quickly.

* * *

“You’re going out?”

At the personnel officer’s question, Karina Zain nodded.

“What’s the reason?”

“I’m going to visit my family for a bit. It’s been a while, and I want to have a meal with my parents.”

“Alright. Don’t be late for class tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

Karina smiled and bowed.

At the Academy’s front gate, she boarded a carriage bound for Icata, and the smile vanished from her face like it had been washed away.

“Ah.”

“So annoying,” she muttered under her breath.

In truth, Karina had no such plans for a family meal.

Until just yesterday, her mind had been consumed with thoughts of thieves.

How could she catch them?

How could she gain attention at the Academy?

At first, it was for trivial reasons.

Attention and recognition.

She had always been the best and intended to remain so.

She had to be the most beautiful, the most outstanding, and the most noticed cadet at the Academy.

But the less-than-a-month she had spent at the Academy had changed much for Karina.

She was outperformed in evaluations, lost her assistant role in Herbology.

Nothing went as planned, and to top it all off, a commoner was climbing the ranks, driving her to the brink of fury.

So she made a bet.

But that bet became the start of a dreadful enmity.

The recent memory of being helplessly beaten by a thief was seared into her mind like a brand.

No. Could she even call it a “fight”?

“…I couldn’t do anything.”

Karina bit her lip hard.

Recalling that day made her side ache and her breath catch in her throat.

What made her stomach churn even more was that while she had been crushed like this, Yuria, the one she had bet against, had caught an escaped villain and a thief, earning a medal.

And people were making a fuss about her being the heir to some magic sword.

“Idiots who don’t even know magic. Hyping up something so inflated.”

Everything had been a mess since she entered the Academy.

Frowning, Karina cast her gaze out the carriage window.

The carriage had left the mountain path and was now passing through the city, entering Royal Road, the empire’s central street.

In truth, Karina knew a solution to all these problems.

Catch the thief.

“And not just any thief—the one who seemed to be their leader.”

That alone would naturally resolve all the tangled situations and stresses plaguing her.

She could exact personal revenge, restore her fallen status, and no longer have to see those irritating names in the daily papers.

Why?

Because the empire would be buzzing with talk of her for days.

“Heh.”

That was exactly why she was heading to the Zain estate now.

Soon, the carriage arrived at a luxurious mansion.

The guard at the front gate shouted in surprise the moment he saw her step out.

“Miss? What brings you here unannounced…?”

“Long time no see, Kiran. Where’s Father?”

“The master is currently out. Oh, let me inform—”

“No, stop! It’s fine, just quietly call for Butler Yudro. Keep my visit today a secret from Father. And from everyone else.”

“Yes, ma’am. One moment.”

Soon, Kiran returned with a kind-looking butler.

Butler Yudro bowed respectfully upon seeing Karina.

“It’s been a while, Miss.”

“Sorry for coming without notice, Yudro. I have some business. Could you open the underground library?”

“The underground library?”

“I need to look up some materials for class. Please.”

“Understood.”

Karina entered the underground library with Yudro.

The underground library, a repository of the Zain family’s history.

It housed countless records of the Zain family’s battles against villains over the years.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“Thanks, Yudro.”

Karina walked confidently into the library.

She stopped before a bookshelf marked with the most recent year and reached out.

An incident log written by Zairo Zain.

Its contents detailed an event from ten years ago.

Flip—

The Shadow, a thief guild that once ruled Icata’s nights.

The log chronicled the war against them, known as the Fall of the Moon, from Zairo Zain’s perspective.

Most nobles believed the Fall of the Moon was merely a thief eradication that happened overnight.

But this log told a different story.

Operation name: Purification.

And “Purification” was a meticulously planned and executed operation led by the Magic Corps over a long period.

Thus, the log detailed the thieves’ characteristics, habits, and Visions.

It also included Zairo’s various interpretations.

Some of these shattered Karina’s preconceptions about thieves entirely.

As she read, Karina’s expression grew increasingly shocked.

“No way. This is what real thieves are?”

The thieves Zairo described weren’t petty criminals working alone, robbing homes, nor were they insignificant compared to knights or mages.

“This… is on a different scale.”

From individual homes to alleyways, markets, Royal Road, noble estates, and even the imperial palace.

There was nowhere their influence didn’t reach.

They were everywhere.

Before she knew it, Karina was so engrossed in the log that she lost track of time.

When facing thieves, nothing is more foolish than assuming you know everything about them. You must keep all possibilities open. They are unpredictable beings. The comrade you trusted yesterday might be today’s thief.

But even they had a weakness.

Karina’s eyes gleamed.

“…A weakness?”

Thievery.

What they called a “job” was an exhausting, sensitive task that required abandoning rest and focusing all nerves on one point.

This inevitably disrupted their daily lives, leading to an unavoidable “change.”

So, pay attention to change.

Observe closely for anyone around you who has changed. Their attitude, personality, appearance, environment. Is there someone different from before?

“Someone different from before…”

As she muttered, tracing her memories, Karina’s lips pressed into a thin line.

In a flash, someone’s face crossed her mind.

He was once infamous as the Academy’s failure.

But his current actions were anything but those of a failure.

Far from a failure, he was elevating the Academy’s prestige with exemplary behavior.

He was rewriting history day by day, even receiving the Honorary Merit Medal for capturing a villain—the first in 17 years.

His name was—

“Gerard.”

Her eyes, staring into the void, were now trembling wildly with disbelief and confusion.

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