Abiyang was faintly groaning as she lay unconscious.
The place where she sprawled was on a sofa set up in Emma’s workshop. The sight of the woman bound at her wrists and ankles with rope evoked a strange sense of sympathy.
She was but a girl who seemed barely to have reached adulthood.
To a stranger, it wouldn’t be odd to report me to the guards immediately. After all, here was a delicate girl with her hands and feet tightly bound.
Of course, I had my own points to make.
First of all, that woman wasn’t human; she was an elf.
This meant she was an enemy of humanity and a spy who had infiltrated the Academy. The target the guards needed to capture was not me, but that woman.
Furthermore, she was also a skilled combatant.
If I were her opponent, binding her would have been unnecessary.
No matter what I did, it was unlikely for an elf to take my life. The difference in strength had already been demonstrated clearly, and it appeared that magic was her specialty.
For a mage to face a swordsman up close was tantamount to s*icide.
However, the one examining the elf’s state was not me but Emma.
No matter how secure we felt, it was not enough.
Emma was just and kind-hearted. It wouldn’t be surprising for her to feel sympathy for the deceiving elf.
And a moment’s relaxation could lead to a fatal mistake.
Since Emma was non-combat personnel, I had no choice but to keep a vigilant watch on the elf.
It wasn’t impossible that the elf might suddenly awaken and attack Emma.
In that case, the elf would not d*e easily, either.
With a somewhat anxious heart, I observed Emma’s complexion.
Compared to my hands damp with cold sweat, Emma’s gaze, looking down at the elf, was extremely serious. She was lost in thought, resting her chin on her hand for a long while.
It was the kind of eyes that only a researcher would possess.
I had forgotten, but Emma was also a member of the Academy’s alchemy department. I only just realized that fact.
That’s when Emma’s lips began to move.
“The flow of magic is unstable… organs that should originally be stable are also hyper-sensitive. There must be considerable pain involved; it seems like signs of body modification.”
Her words were uttered in a serious tone.
If even the careful Emma said this, there was no doubt. The elf’s body had been altered by someone.
That abnormal regenerative ability must stem from that.
As soon as I heard the term “body modification,” someone unexpected came to mind.
The woman who resembled my younger sister and went mad with rage.
And the filthy little girl who was the core of the corpse giant.
Miltram.
A dark priest and an authority on biological modification.
Once my rival, her image flashed through my mind.
An instinctual question escaped my lips.
“…Do you know who modified her?”
“For now, no. It’s been so twisted that I can’t figure out the principles, but still one thing…”
At the same time, a faint light began to gather in Emma’s hand.
Her delicate hand ran down from near the elf’s solar plexus, skimming past her chest to brush against her uvula. Each time she did so, the elf’s body jolted with a rough reaction.
Emma, who had been struggling near the elf’s uvula, soon raised her hand with all her might towards the elf’s mouth.
Then came the bizarre scream that erupted from the elf’s mouth.
Kieeeeeeeek-!
The elf’s jaw dislocated, and within, a glimpse of a gruesome mass was visible. It was truly just a brief moment.
Immediately after, the fleshy mass disappeared again.
Leaving behind somewhere an oddly familiar residue.
I instantly covered my face with my hands. A sigh escaped me.
Emma, despite the horrific scene, showed no particular signs of surprise.
After all, she had always become infinitely serious whenever alchemy was involved.
She usually dealt with all sorts of grotesque materials, so there was no reason for her to be frightened by witnessing the mass parasitizing the elf’s body.
Rather, she simply declared in a soft voice.
“…That’s the core of magical power. It’s fused too deeply with the body, making immediate removal impossible.”
Upon hearing that, I finally felt sure.
Only one place on the entire continent indulged in such grotesque modifications.
“The Dark Cult…”
I had suspected it, but it was confirmed.
The Dark Cult maintained a close relationship with the northern elves.
No, they were undoubtedly plotting something through the elves. Otherwise, there would be no reason to go so far as to modify humans.
Hearing my sigh, Emma looked at me with a worried expression.
Her eyes, gazing at me silently, were filled with concern. As she hesitated, I forced a smile and said,
“It’s alright, Emma. I’ll handle this.”
Normally, that should have been the end of the conversation.
Emma did not fit into the world I lived in.
My path had long been stained with bl**d and corpses. I did not want to accompany Emma down that cold and dark road.
I wanted to protect her.
However, today Emma seemed a bit different.
After a moment’s hesitation, she suddenly asked me,
“Are you leaving again…?”
“Probably, but don’t worry… I’ll be back soon.”
I offered those words as a comfort, hoping to put her at ease, even if just a little.
Yet, with her head bowed, Emma stayed silent. Seeing the shadow cast over her face pained my heart.
I took a step closer to Emma.
She stood there helplessly, as if she would fall into my embrace with just a slight pull. So, I instinctively reached out my hand but then stopped.
It was an unnecessary act of pity.
With a long sigh, I turned my back.
The elf could easily be put back into the sack.
It was time to find Neoris.
There were limits to the information I could gather alone.
Had Emma not murmured quietly to herself, I would have left that spot without a second thought.
“…I heard. You almost died.”
That was the moment my steps halted abruptly.
My bewildered gaze turned to Emma. Regardless, Emma continued her confession in a dreary tone.
“That potion I made, right? I know the side effects best since I made it; I got a message from the Lady Virgin Saint. At first, I hid it… but I thought I deserved to know at least that much.”
The word ‘deserved’ struck deep in my heart.
No, in truth, I realized something.
I had been treating Emma with “special treatment” under the guise of wanting to protect her. And depending on the situation, that could feel like discrimination.
Favor and neglect are two sides of the same coin.
Neither could stand on its own.
“At first, I went completely blank. Then I felt like I couldn’t breathe… when I came to my senses, I didn’t even notice I was crying and sobbing for a long time, um… no, for days…”
“…Emma.”
I called out her name with a heart full of sorrow.
But Emma did not return the usual bright and cheerful reply. She simply stated with a lonely expression,
“Ian, I’m scared of you.”
That single line pierced into my heart.
“I’m scared you might d*e, and I’m scared of a world without you… I never felt this way until I met you. Isn’t it strange?”
Her trembling voice was mixed with a sob.
By now, a glimmer of moisture had gathered in Emma’s emerald eyes. I wanted to offer her some comfort, but my lips hesitated to move.
“But the scariest and hardest part for me is that if you were to d*e, there would be nothing I could do. That can’t be helped, since I’m just a common girl who only knows how to make potions…”
“…Emma.”
Unable to hold back any longer, I opened my mouth.
No words came to mind. I simply instinctively wished to stop Emma’s self-deprecation.
My hand carefully grasped Emma’s.
“I already owe you my life several times over. Why do you think like that? You are more than enough for me…”
“…I know.”
Emma forced down her voice that quivered, hastily wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
“I knew you would say that… thank you.”
She must have known.
Emma was quick to pick up on things and was sharp-witted. She never intentionally upset others and was overflowing with consideration, never prioritizing her opinions over others.
Even now.
Though she hadn’t fully accepted it, Emma quickly composed herself, thinking I might be troubled. That part of her broke my heart.
Nevertheless, I found myself unable to do anything about it.
The Dark Cult lurked in the north. If they had even trained with the elves, the risks would be even higher.
I couldn’t take Emma to such a dangerous place.
I was also concerned about the cold, dry climate of the north, and the pride of the Yuridina Clan, an esteemed noble family within the Empire.
She might not even receive proper treatment, even as a commoner, let alone a low-ranking noble.
Traveling with Emma, who held insecurities regarding her status, would not end well.
Countless reasons floated before me.
Just one of them was enough to justify not taking Emma along. I solidified my resolve and looked at her.
Then it happened.
With tears barely gathered in her eyes, Emma bestowed upon me a pitiable smile.
“I’ll wait again… you should come back safely, okay?”
The moment I faced that sorrowful expression.
“…Let’s go.”
My mind went blank as those words slipped out.
Surprisingly, it was Emma who looked dumbfounded.
Her eyes widened slightly, as if she had expected me to go quietly.
“Wha, what?”
“Let’s go together, Emma. I’ll protect you no matter what…”
Even as I made that bold declaration, I was conflicted about whether it was the right thing to do.
But no matter how much I pondered, my answer remained the same. At least from the moment I faced Emma’s moist smile, I was already caught in a trap.
The conclusion had been reached. All that remained was my determination to carry it out.
So I needed to firmly resolve my heart.
Alright, let’s do it.
Since Emma wished for it so much.
Unbeknownst to Emma, who seemed clueless, I added her as a new companion on the road to the north.
*
The elf regained consciousness several hours later.
