Chapter : 185

“Theo….”

My eyes had somewhat adjusted to the darkness, but I couldn’t see Senior Lerwon’s face.

“Thank goodness.”

Hearing his voice, which sounded as if he were crying, my anger momentarily evaporated.

I was seriously going to hit him, but I guess I can’t. The strength in my fist dissipated futilely.

Right, let’s not be too harsh on someone who was probably worried about me being kidnapped.

“Are you okay? How did you escape?”

“I was captured again because of Mordegar, but I escaped.”

“How?”

“That woman let me go herself.”

At my calm answer, he seemed surprised for a moment, then nodded as if he had accepted it to some extent.

“That’s her typical method.”

“She’s trying to tame me by showing that no matter how much I struggle, I’m in the palm of her hand, right?”

At my question, Senior Lerwon gave a slightly empty smile.

So, I was right. Actually, Iris’s intentions were so obvious that it wasn’t surprising.

I tidied my slightly disheveled bangs from running so hard and stared blankly at the senior I hadn’t seen in a while.

“The more I think about it, the more pissed I get. Can’t I just hit you once?”

As I calmly looked at his face, I felt a deep surge of anger from the pit of my stomach.

I did all sorts of things to save him, and now this person appears before a starving Iris to save me. This senior is doing something that even ten lives wouldn’t be enough for!

“…Please go easy on me.”

Seeing him shrink and apologize, my heart weakened a little.

“Don’t do it again. I won’t let you off a second time.”

“Thank you.”

It felt rather insincere to be filled with gratitude.

Is this really the reaction of someone who is thankful? Anyway, what was important right now was something else.

“Then, let’s try to blind Iris’s eyes for a moment.”

Considering Iris’s personality, she was probably watching us secretly from afar right now.

I immediately took out my quill and used my skill.

「My and Lerwon’s figures are not visible to Iris」

As soon as I finished writing, snakes that had been hiding somewhere quickly emerged.

Just before the snakes attacked us, the senior swung his dagger and swiftly dealt with them.

“What the hell is all this?”

“Secretly watching eyes.”

This must be why Lerwon was caught every time he tried to escape in the past.

Moreover, now that Iris was becoming Ouroboros, the snakes would follow her even more thoroughly, so the surveillance must be much tighter than before.

“Then, now that we’re out of her sight, let’s run away quickly.”

As we retraced the path the senior had come from, I asked the question that had been on my mind the most.

“What happened to the Golden Elixir?”

“I completed it.”

He completed the Golden Elixir!!!

Upon hearing that, I suppressed the cheers that were about to burst out and clenched my fists tightly.

I had a feeling Senior Lerwon would be able to do it!

This meant I had an extra life, so it wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to dance for joy.

“How are things outside?”

“Shall I tell you my honest feelings?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a complete mess, five minutes before chaos.”

At the senior’s blatant expression, I let out a hollow laugh.

No matter how crazy Iris was, she had always avoided committing crimes that would make her an enemy of the Empire.

What the emperor had granted Iris was a right that couldn’t be pursued with weak evidence, not an amnesty, so it was a natural choice.

However, kidnapping a noble scion who was invited by the emperor to attend a party was certainly problematic.

It was definitely a major incident, but I felt something was slightly lacking to use the expression “a complete mess, five minutes before chaos”…

“Did some other problem arise?”

Come to think of it, the conversation had strayed, and I never got to hear why Mordegar’s arm was cut off.

Somehow, I had a feeling that “a complete mess, five minutes before chaos” and Mordegar’s missing arm were definitely related.

“Lucian was attacked and collapsed.”

Only then did I understand. Yes, in that situation, it was definitely not an exaggeration to describe it as “a complete mess, five minutes before chaos.”

On the contrary, to describe such a major incident as merely “a complete mess, five minutes before chaos,” was bold enough to be praised.

“The Imperial Family and the Academy must be in an uproar.”

“Of course.”

“I wonder if I’ve fallen out of favor with His Majesty the Emperor.”

The next thing I was worried about was that.

Not long after I disappeared, the Hero was attacked and collapsed.

Wow, it looks like there’s a connection to anyone who sees it.

“……”

This is a real headache. How on earth should I solve this situation?

“It’s not your fault.”

“When did I ever blame myself?”

That’s absurd. I did nothing wrong.

I’m just an innocent victim of an unexpected kidnapping.

I’ll have to make sure to emphasize that fact when I go back.

Did he think I would blame myself? The senior looked rather uncomfortable as he spoke.

“Yes, you’re right.”

“How did Father seem?”

“He pretended to be calm, but I don’t think he was really.”

Anyway, Father is the Academy’s star professor and the emperor’s teacher, so he probably couldn’t easily show himself being anxious because of his son.

Alright, for Father’s sake too, I must return safely.

“But, did Father send you?”

In the current situation, Senior Lerwon was the top priority for protection, someone who should never be sent out, no matter what.

I never thought he would be sent out for a rescue, a person who should be considered as a means to pressure Iris if necessary.

At my question, the senior said nothing.

“Don’t tell me you came out secretly?”

“It’s not secretly, I just… didn’t say anything.”

That’s what coming out secretly means!

Looking at Senior Lerwon’s awkward smile, I predicted.

Now the outside is not “a complete mess, five minutes before chaos,” but “a real-time complete mess.”

* * *

Theo’s prediction was spot on.

“I am sorry, my lord.”

The villa’s manager trembled before Evan.

Apart from the commotion in the forest near the villa, the servants inside the villa had been spending their days much as usual because of Lerwon.

Following Lilia’s instructions not to let anyone enter Lerwon’s room, in case someone came and went and Lerwon used them somehow, was all they did.

But to think that Lerwon would disappear with Lilia, who had given the order. The manager felt like he was going to die.

“I don’t disbelieve your words.”

At Evan’s words, the manager’s eyes filled with tears.

Following Lilia’s instructions would have been the wisest and most correct judgment at the time.

He just didn’t know that Lilia, Beatrice’s disciple, would go against her master’s instructions and move.

Even though Cecilia and Laurel, who acted as variables, were by Lilia’s side.

“I don’t know where they went.”

“I… I am sorry.”

The manager, who had bitten his lip tightly, looked as if he had no words to say, even with a hundred, no, a thousand mouths.

“I will not punish you separately, so you may leave.”

“Thank you.”

The manager, who had bowed his waist repeatedly, fled the scene.

Evan, left alone in Lerwon’s room, clicked his tongue and investigated the traces of a torn space left in the room.

It was practically impossible to escape without being seen by the servants in the villa.

In that case, what was left was teleportation magic.

Lilia couldn’t use teleportation magic yet, but there was one means of transportation that only Academy students could use.

“Tsk.”

Evan clicked his tongue in displeasure as his prediction became reality.

As expected, the means of transportation was the teleportation magic artifact that Evan had provided for the students’ easy movement.

It was a two-time use, but it seems there was one left.

Evan, who had unintentionally helped Lerwon’s escape, clenched his fist.

The coordinates that came out as a result of back-tracking the torn space were in the direction of the dungeon.

“…I shouldn’t have left the spot.”

It was a good thing I took measures to prevent the dungeon entrance from being discovered.

Evan took out a crystal from his pocket, stored the traces of magic, and headed to the Academy.

At the Academy, Beatrice had finished her temporary treatment of Mordegar and was dispelling Lucian’s curse.

“You’re back?”

Artemia greeted Evan in Beatrice’s place.

Artemia, who was chugging a recovery potion, looked gaunt at a glance. She was in a mess from pouring out healing magic by herself.

“How is his condition?”

“Anyway, the one who cast the curse came in person, so there’s definitely more progress than before. At this rate, I think we can wake him up within an hour.”

At the somewhat good news, Evan’s hardened expression softened a little.

“Did something happen?”

“Lerwon has disappeared.”

“What? That’s no small matter!”

Artemia frowned as soon as she heard that.

“Lilia, Cecilia, and Laurel, all three of them disappeared.”

“Wait, Lilia too?!”

Beatrice, who had been using dispelling magic, whipped her head around and shouted urgently.

“Please focus.”

Even at Mordegar’s urgent instruction, who was providing the dispelling magic formula, Beatrice seemed unable to concentrate.

It was a natural reaction. The disciple she trusted more than anyone had just slapped her master in the back of the head.

“I think it’s better than Lerwon leaving alone.”

“That’s true, but is this really okay?”

“Are you anxious?”

Evan asked himself and thought the answer was obvious.

At least in this place, there was no professor who wasn’t worried about their students.

“It’s annoying that I seem to have been caught off guard.”

However, Artemia did not easily show such feelings.

As a healer, it was not right to easily show anxiety.

“So, I’m thinking of going to the dungeon now.”

“Why? You hid it by confusing it with magic.”

“You never know how things will turn out.”

Both Beatrice and Artemia nodded in agreement at the calm answer.

“Don’t forget that the brand also works remotely.”

Evan left a word for Mordegar and disappeared immediately.

Where are these troublemakers?

Evan, who had arrived at the coordinates where the four had moved, immediately used analysis magic.

As soon as he used the analysis magic, all sorts of information flowed into his head, perhaps because of the forest’s characteristics, but Evan didn’t care and filtered the information coming into his head.

Evan, who was filtering the information with his pure brain without the help of magic, frowned.

“Damn it.”

It seemed Iris had thoroughly prepared to get Lerwon back.

As if invited by Iris, Lerwon had discovered the hidden dungeon.

A clear image of Lerwon entering the dungeon with Lilia, Cecilia, and Laurel formed.

“We’re in trouble.”

He had to use some means to get a trustworthy person from the Academy inside the dungeon.

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