“I want to save them.”
“Go ahead.”
The Sorceress took a puff from her pipe, letting out a sound that was either a sneer or a sigh.
“If you can, that is.”
“Yes, that’s what I was thinking.”
Just as I was about to voice this response, I felt a tugging force firmly pulling at my collar. There stood Senior Elsi with a pout on her face.
The girl tiptoed and whispered softly in my ear.
“…It means don’t bother; it’s pointless.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Because it’s impossible, you brat.”
Senior Elsi dismissed my rightful question so easily.
However, when I maintained a look of disbelief, the girl let out a long sigh between her small lips.
“I’ll try to save Celin and Ceria, those juniors of yours, as much as I can. But I can’t save the vampire’s retinue.”
This was a question we had discussed before.
Senior Elsi had said the same thing back then: there was no way to bring back those who had become part of the vampire’s retinue.
I wanted to ask why.
Didn’t she say then that she was researching ways to treat those who had become part of the vampire’s retinue? After hearing a story that at least made sense, I would feel a little better about myself.
But had too much time passed?
“Ian!”
A desperate shout resonated from afar. The gazes of everyone naturally gathered toward the source.
At first glance, he looked like an ordinary student. He was wearing the academy uniform, and he appeared to be in his early twenties.
But I knew.
That male student was actually a member of the Intelligence Department’s academy branch, someone I had met briefly at a newspaper office. The fact that he was rushing toward me was enough to instill a sense of foreboding.
The Intelligence Department wouldn’t come looking for me unless something had happened.
It wasn’t just me who had this perception. Even Senior Elsi standing beside me was narrowing her eyes.
And soon, that anxiety became reality.
“Uh, uh, there are vampires… unidentified women running rampant inside the academy! Most are sheltering inside the buildings, but some departments are still evacuating…”
I wanted to curse immediately, but I did my best to hold back, being in the presence of my seniors.
In fact, I didn’t really have to hold back.
There was someone else to represent my feelings.
“What the hell, what the hell… We’re screwed, really.”
Although the tone was rude and crude, the Sorceress didn’t scold Senior Elsi. The situation was too urgent for that.
The first one to react was the Imperial Princess, who had little practical experience.
“Wh-what should we do?! Don’t we need to go back immediately? We can find the core of the barrier later…”
“…Calm down.”
Looking after the junior is the responsibility of the senior.
By age, I was second from the bottom and was also the person with the deepest connection to the Imperial Princess.
With that in mind, I began to soothe the Imperial Princess.
“The vampires must have acted first for a reason. Especially since the retinue has emerged, they might aim to divide our forces. Or they might want to delay searching for the core of the barrier as much as possible.”
“That makes sense.”
The person who received that calm explanation was the Sorceress.
Having lived for hundreds of years, the Sorceress showed no signs of turmoil, as expected from the oldest among us.
“There are professors in the academy for protection. Do you think we’re just moving around on our own? Also, the students should possess considerable skill, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
Perhaps the persuasion from me and the Sorceress worked.
The Imperial Princess, who had seemed ready to rush out at any moment, finally calmed down. She nodded with a look of infinite trust in her eyes, gazing at me as though she respected me.
“Y-you’re right! You are indeed Sir Ian. How can you remain so composed in this situation…”
Well, I had experienced plenty of sudden situations up to this point.
Words like ‘ambush’ or ‘attack’ were particularly common for me. Thinking back, wasn’t there also an attack from the Dark Cult on the day I saved the Imperial Princess?
As I was lost in such memories.
“U-um…”
A member of the Intelligence Department cautiously broke my reflection.
It seemed he still had more to say. The cold sweat dripping from him indicated it was a considerable emotional burden.
Am I that frightening?
The Intelligence Department member shut his eyes tightly just after that.
“A-among the departments that couldn’t evacuate… I’ve heard that the Alchemy Department remains…”
And silence.
I chose to keep my mouth shut, standing there. Thoughts raced through my mind like an electric current, but the one idea that came to my lips was singular.
“…Emma!”
As soon as my feet hit the ground, my body shot off like the wind, and I felt surprised looks behind me.
But I didn’t care.
My mind was filled with the image of a girl who often ended up in dire situations.
I felt an ominous premonition, for some reason.
A strong one.
The physical abilities of a High Expert are beyond imagination.
The same goes for their magical power. Not long after I kicked off the ground, I finally spotted the person I was looking for.
Crimson hair, bright green eyes, and the white lab coat typical of the Alchemy Department handling reagents.
It was Emma.
She was just in the midst of struggling to move her luggage. Perhaps she intended to continue her research even after evacuation, as the bundles looked quite heavy.
As soon as I confirmed Emma’s presence, I cried out.
“Emma!”
“…Huh?”
The woman, who had been tugging on the bundle, turned her eyes toward me. Her expression brightened almost instantly.
It was a radiant smile.
Despite the vampire’s curse lingering in the academy, Emma seemed not to feel the effects of the curse, likely due to her inherently kind nature. That factor probably allowed her to smile so brightly.
Thankfully, Emma appeared to be fine.
“Ian! What’s going on? You said there was an important matter today… Ah, do you need something you left behind? Maybe the medicine you took yesterday?”
“Emma, so… so…”
I quickly organized my heavy breathing and approached Emma slowly.
Only then could I be sure that Emma was safe. No signs of abnormality appeared anywhere on her body.
It wasn’t too late.
Thinking that way, I placed my hand on Emma’s shoulder and said.
“Emma, listen carefully. I’ll take you to the shelter, so don’t come out for a while. And stay close to the professors.”
“Eh? But I still have some luggage left…”
“That doesn’t matter.”
At my firm tone, Emma hesitated, avoiding my gaze. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, making it difficult to gauge the distance between us.
I wished we could have a more tender conversation.
But this wasn’t the time to create a sweet atmosphere.
Emma, unable to let go of her reluctance in the end, timidly raised an objection.
“I-I dried mushrooms…”
“Come on.”
Of course, it was a futile resistance.
Emma hesitated for a moment before tossing the rope connected to her bundle. Then she closed her eyes tightly and opened her arms in silence.
“Okay! I’m ready!”
Did she think I would carry her?
I intended to carry her on my back initially, but given the situation, I decided it might be faster to simply hoist her up.
Just as I took a step forward.
Bang!
My vision was suddenly stained red with blood. It felt as if the world had stopped.
I blankly brought my hand to my eyes. There was a bloodstain left on my hand as it brushed against my face.
“…Huh?”
In a daze, I muttered quietly.
As I finally focused my gaze to the front, there stood a woman with wide eyes, looking down at her own body as if she couldn’t believe it.
No, to be precise, she was staring at her abdomen.
Blood was gushing from a gash, and while it was blood for now, soon her organs would spill out.
Emma forced a trembling smile, as if wanting to tell me she was okay.
“Wh-what? Ian, is something…”
That was the end.
Perhaps no longer able to endure it, the woman’s eyes rolled back, and her posture leaned forward. With a dull thud, her body collapsed, and warm crimson liquid spread around her.
I stood there in shock for a few seconds.
From a distance, I sensed the sound of soft footsteps approaching.
“One down.”
My gaze blankly followed the source. My vision opened to where Emma had fallen, and there were shadows cast like the setting sun.
Each with different appearances.
The only commonalities were two: gray hair and blue eyes.
Among them, a woman adorned in extravagant clothing approached me with an alluring smile.
“Oh my, so you’re ‘Ian’? I heard you haven’t been a High Expert for long yet…”
A chuckle pierced my ears.
“This is just a little revenge, you know? One of my sisters lost her life in your hands, so now we’re even, right?”
It was a natural conclusion, but.
That was the last sound I heard in my right mind.
