Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Those Who Send Me Away (3)
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"...The Child of Prophecy... you say?"
Mary's eyes wavered as she echoed Elis's words.
"Yeah, from what I've heard, that Child of Prophecy is the one who killed Ken."
"But... it's just a rumor. ...And even if it was killed..."
It was utterly unbelievable.
No one, not even the academy professors, knew the cause of Ken's death.
There were no traces of mana, poison, assassination, or even disease.
And yet, he was murdered.
'...Someone killed Ken.'
A spark ignited in Mary's heart, which had been filled only with grief as she withered away.
Resentment and rage.
The ember of vengeance.
"...Who is this Child of Prophecy? ...Who?"
It was just a rumor, but for her lost emotions, it was a perfect signpost.
Uncover the truth of Ken's death.
And avenge him.
"I... don't know either. That's why we have to find the Child of Prophecy."
"......Understood."
With that, Mary, who had been huddled up for days, rose from her seat and left the temple.
To find the one who killed Ken.
The Child of Prophecy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After hearing the full story, Emily felt her blood boiling in reverse.
━━Someone killed Ken.
On the verge of losing her reason to anger, a single question surfaced in her mind.
The Child of Prophecy was Emily herself.
The reason Mary had come to her.
"But... Mary, why ask me if I know who the Child of Prophecy is...?"
Tension gripped her as she cautiously asked, just in case.
The murderous intent in Mary's eyes was genuine.
But to Emily's question, Mary blinked in confusion and countered.
"Because... don't you want revenge too, Emily?"
"......Huh?"
"If that rumor is true... and Ken was murdered."
Mary's expression twisted again, her clenched fist trembling.
"I could never forgive the one who did that to Ken. ...And I thought you felt the same."
'...Ah, I see.'
Mary had come to join forces.
Not for revenge against the Child of Prophecy, but to track down that unknown culprit together.
"Next, I'll go to Rafne. I'm sure she'll feel the same way we do."
Mary's visit was a gesture of consideration toward Emily.
An offer to share the chance to avenge Ken.
Because she understood Emily's feelings for him.
But to do that, Emily first had to reveal what Mary didn't know.
"...Mary, there's something I have to tell you first."
"Yes, what is it?"
Emily steadied her trembling arms and spoke carefully.
"The Child of Prophecy you're talking about... ...is me."
She braced herself, fearing Mary might lose her mind or attack suddenly, and revealed the truth.
"...What? ...What do you mean?"
But contrary to Emily's fears, Mary didn't turn hostile. She simply looked baffled, unable to grasp the meaning.
Emily... the Child of Prophecy?
"Th-then why is there such a rumor...? It clearly said the Child of Prophecy killed Ken..."
But Mary knew it too.
Emily would never kill Ken.
"Maybe the rumor is wrong? Rumors get twisted all the time..."
"No, but the timing is too..."
There wasn't enough time for it to be distorted.
Even if it had been nearly a week since Ken's death.
No matter how much stories change as they spread...
━At that moment, something nagging caught Mary's attention.
'...Even as a rumor, ...why the Child of Prophecy?'
Child of Prophecy.
Mary had only learned of the term at the academy recently.
And that it referred to Emily.
Which meant only a few people even knew the name.
'......Someone is framing the Child of Prophecy as the culprit.'
Pinning the crime of killing Ken on the Child of Prophecy.
Which meant...
"...Emily, I'll be right back."
"Wh-what? Suddenly? Where to?"
But Mary didn't answer and spun on her heel, rushing off.
"M-Mary!"
Stunned by the sudden shift, Emily could only watch her vanishing figure.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ '...Hurry, before it's too late...!'
Mary burst out of the dormitory in a panic, heading back to the temple she'd just left.
It was already late, dusk turning to night—if she didn't hurry, she might miss them.
A faint figure appeared ahead of the rushing Mary.
"...━Elis!!"
Mary shouted her name immediately.
Elis, already leaving the temple, was heading home with Siegfried.
And Mary, calling her name...
Seeing Mary, Siegfried grimaced and stepped in front of Elis.
Mary halted, catching her breath.
"...Hah, Senior Siegfried. Hah, ...what does this mean?"
"That's what I want to ask."
Siegfried's hand rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"...What is this? Calling Elis with such murderous eyes."
As he said, Mary was on the verge of losing her reason to fury.
The one who killed Ken.
And dared to frame it on Emily.
"...Elis. ...I have something to ask you."
Without even the honorific of senior, Mary glared at her, suppressing her rage.
Elis flinched at the intensity and hid behind the man protecting her.
And then Mary's words followed.
"...━That rumor you just mentioned, who did you hear it from?"
"......"
The one murdering Ken and framing Emily.
Obviously, it started with the one who spread the rumor.
So start with Elis, who mentioned it first.
Tracing back from her would lead to the source.
And on the other hand...
A possibility she hoped wasn't true.
"...You'd better answer quickly."
The air grew colder as her aura intensified.
Frost formed on the ground around her feet.
Siegfried's breath fogged as he tensed.
"━Or I'll think you're the one who killed Ken."
Mary's eyes gleamed blue as she glared.
"Ah, I, ...th-that, um, well. ...Uh, uh?"
Under the pressure, Elis scrambled for an answer but faltered in panic.
As if she couldn't recall the source.
And then.
"Elis━! Duck━!!"
━KABOOM!!
With Siegfried's urgent shout, a frigid ice storm erupted with an explosive roar.
As the scattering ice crystals cleared...
The ground was gouged.
And Siegfried stood, sword drawn.
"━What the hell are you doing, Mary Heidi?!"
Siegfried roared, his eyes fierce like a wolf's, glaring at the enemy before him.
He pointed his sword at the Ice Witch.
"...You lost a dear friend just days ago. ...And now you dare threaten Elis too."
"...Si, Zeke."
Mana flowed into the Black Blade in his hand, dark energy emanating from it.
The mana-absorbing sword.
Ice crystal mist began absorbing into the blade.
"...That sword. ...Ken made it, didn't he?"
The man blocking her path.
A traitor protecting her vile enemy.
"And now you'll use it to protect Ken's killer?"
Mary's blue eyes flashed as her mana swirled.
Dozens of ice blades formed around her.
All aimed at one point.
"...Elis would never."
"Then answer. Where did you hear the rumor?"
"......"
"Z-Zeke..."
Elis clutched at his sleeve.
Siegfried glanced back to check on her.
Tears welling in her terrified eyes—it was just like the Elis he knew.
"Calm down, Mary. ...Elis can't answer because there's clearly something..."
"...━Don't make me laugh!!"
━KABOOM!!
"Urgh...!"
"Kyaaah━!"
Siegfried blocked the exploding mana storm with his sword, grimacing.
The whipping gusts.
The Black Blade absorbed the mana, but he couldn't block the sheer pressure.
"Calm down? With Ken's killer right in front of me, how?!"
━Shwoooosh!!
With her furious cry, the hovering ice blades whipped forward.
'...This is dangerous━!'
Siegfried alone could handle it.
But Elis behind him.
Absorbing with the sword wouldn't guarantee her safety.
━Taat!
"Kyaaak!! Z-Zeke!?"
Reacting swiftly to the onslaught, Siegfried grabbed Elis's waist and leaped away.
━Pabababak!!
The blades embedded densely where he'd stood.
A scene screaming intent to kill.
"If you won't answer now, I'll make you confess by force."
The stinging killing intent pricking her skin.
The bone-chilling cold and her icier gaze made Siegfried tense, adjusting his grip on the Black Blade.
He took a slow, deep breath.
And glared at the girl before him.
"Sorry, but when I received this sword, I swore to him."
She was strong.
Even more so in her rage-blinded state.
"To protect Ken, and those dear to me."
The onslaught might overwhelm even his physical prowess and the Black Blade.
He might die.
"I failed Ken."
"...So I'll protect Elis, even if it kills me."
Sharp eyes.
Raised blade.
Siegfried steeled himself.
For a fight to the death.
"......Fine then."
Mary, watching him, met his gaze with cold, lightless eyes.
And slowly raised her hand.
"Die."
━Ziiing.
Mana gathered at her fingertips.
"Elis!! Get away from me!!"
"B-but!"
"Now━!!"
"......Ugh."
━Paaat...!
Elis fled behind a nearby tree, and in that moment, a massive ice spear formed before Mary's hand.
Siegfried's eyes locked on her fingertips, never relaxing.
And then.
'...━Coming.'
The moment her fingers twitched.
━Shwaaaak!!
The massive ice spear launched.
A gale-force wind propelled it forward in an instant.
"Hup!"
Siegfried raised his blade to deflect it.
━KABOOM!!
The spear grazed past, slamming into the ground with a deafening roar, ice mist obscuring vision.
'...Can't absorb all the magic.'
An immense mana volume even the Black Blade—made by Ken—couldn't fully absorb.
Mary, knowing its effects, had poured in extra mana for the spell.
'Then...'
Taat━!!
Siegfried channeled mana into his thighs, boosting his strength, and kicked off with explosive force.
A black afterimage like an arrow.
His form, hard to track visually, pierced the ice mist.
And flew straight at Mary.
Emerging from the smoke...
━━Mary waited, wielding a massive ice hammer.
"━Damn it!"
Closing distance on a magic specialist like her.
But Mary had anticipated it.
And swung the enormous hammer at him.
Kaaaaaboom━!!
Caught off-guard, Siegfried parried with his sword, using the force to leap back.
Shards from the cleaved hammer dissolved into mana, absorbed by the blade.
Landing safely, Siegfried glared at the distant Mary.
'...She's pushing too hard.'
The terrifying mana surging from her even now.
Even for Mary, with her vast reserves, this was abnormal output.
Staking her life on this fight.
Resolved to die.
That desperation screamed through to Siegfried.
Like clinging to the last shred after losing everything.
That's why her attacks were so threatening.
━But the longer this dragged, the more it favored Siegfried.
"...Enhancing yourself, huh."
Mary noted the black aura from the Black Blade.
The mana-absorbing sword.
Its magic circuit—crafted meticulously by Ken—absorbed spells and enhanced the user.
The more mana Mary expended to counter it...
The more Siegfried absorbed to strengthen himself.
A deadly advantage over mages.
"I'll end this."
Siegfried readjusted his stance.
Blade to his hip, iaijutsu draw position.
Converted mana from the Black Blade enveloped him.
His eyes sharpened.
A finishing blow.
Mary raised her hand, erecting an ice wall.
A frigid barrier rose.
Kagagagak━
She could feel his intent just from his aura.
The coming attack was lethal.
So Mary fortified her wall for defense.
━Paak!!
Siegfried's eyes narrowed, the Black Blade drawn in a flash.
Lightning-fast closure of the gap.
Time seemed to slow.
And Mary knew instantly.
'......This wall won't hold.'
A mere ice barrier couldn't withstand his strike.
It would be fatal.
Her burning rage cooled to calm resolve.
As his blade closed in,
In that fleeting moment,
She recalled his already-missed face.
'......Ken.'
A sense of relief settled in Mary's heart.
'...Going to meet Ken...'
Recalling his longed-for face.
The gentle smile he'd given her.
Mary closed her eyes.
━━KAAAAABOOM!!!
Siegfried's full-power iaijutsu slash erupted in a massive shockwave.
Dirt and dust settled slowly.
The devastation from his strike revealed itself.
━But Mary opened her eyes to death that never came.
"...Phew, made it just in time."
In her dust-filled vision,
That so-craved, longed-to-hear voice.
And a familiar yet different silhouette.
"Enough fighting now, both of you."
Different from the Ken in her memories.
But the one blocking her path and parrying Siegfried's blade
Was unmistakably Ken Fine Stein.