The Archmage's Fury
The Archmage's Wrath
Yuriana stopped in her tracks.
Was it because she suddenly didn't need to go to Lunia's dormitory? Or because something else came to mind?
Yuriana didn't stop because of such a trivial matter.
The reason she stopped was that she saw one of the three people known as the Humanity's Strongest within the Trionne Empire, someone no noble living in the Trionne Empire could possibly not know.
If that "strongest" person hadn't said anything, Yuriana would have quickly run over to get an autograph.
However, the reason Lunia couldn't even run over and talk to her, and was currently unable to move, her feet glued to the floor, was...
...because an unbelievable name had come out of her mouth.
"H-h-h-h-h-hello there...!"
Just her presence appearing made the administrative staff tense up.
Of course, his voice was trembling, and the administrator, who had been sitting and working, quickly stood up and bowed his head and waist.
But she spoke in an indifferent voice, as if she didn't particularly care.
"............Where is our Lunia's room?"
Those words made Yuriana stop in her tracks.
No more, no less.
Exactly two words.
'Our Lunia.'
No matter who heard it, where, or how, no one could simply say that Lunia and she were just acquaintances.
Yuriana was shocked by that.
Of course, she had vaguely felt that Lunia was hiding something about her past, but she never imagined that Lunia would be acquainted with Mineba-nim.
After all, if Lunia had Mineba as a backer, even if she half-killed Jerad, who had been reaching out his evil hands to her, she wouldn't receive such a severe punishment.
As expected, Lunia was too kind and uncorrupted by power, so she tried to protect herself...
Yuriana once again dwelled on her own mistakes.
Even if there were more opportunities, this felt like truly the last one.
If God existed, perhaps this was the last chance God had given her.
She didn't even wish for forgiveness.
She would be satisfied if Lunia would just listen to her sincerity, her apology.
"I'll have to tell her everything............"
She didn't know how special the relationship between Mineba-nim and Lunia was, but Mineba-nim might get angry after hearing her circumstances.
If that story angered her, Yuriana didn't know what kind of punishment would befall her.
Her family might be annihilated.
She herself might disappear from this world.
However, despite all that, she didn't want to hide this until the end.
Therefore, Yuriana, for the first time, overcame her fear of death and took a step.
"Um............"
"............?"
Mineba turned around at the sudden voice and expressed her refusal to the girl who vaguely recognized her, promising to meet later.
"I'm a bit busy right now, so it would be better if you came back later."
"Ah, ............that."
"...................L-Lunia is in danger!"
Just as Mineba turned towards Lunia's room, she couldn't help but stop at the words she heard from behind her.
Mineba lowered the corners of her mouth, which had risen at the thought of meeting her disciple, and asked her again with an expressionless face.
"Explain."
At the emotionless tone of one of Humanity's Strongest, Yuriana's legs almost gave out for a moment.
##
And so, Yuriana confessed all the facts and events to Mineba.
Of course, it was all 'from Yuriana's perspective.'
Anyway, after hearing everything, when they went to Lunia's dormitory, Lunia wasn't actually there.
"............Huh?"
In truth, to somehow get Mineba to stop, she had lied that Lunia was in danger.
Of course, Yuriana had also confessed to Mineba that even that was a lie.
However, from Mineba's perspective, given that Lunia had already been forcibly taken by a noble and subjected to such acts, she did not take Yuriana's words as a lie.
Indeed, if Lunia were to carry the seed of a worm-like noble, it would truly be a dangerous situation.
Mineba initially didn't care what kind of dissolute life Lunia led or whom she met.
As long as Lunia bore a child who perfectly resembled both her and Mineba in talent, it didn't matter at all whether Lunia left the Empire afterward or not.
However, after receiving ideological sex education from Ariel and various other witches, she decided to pay a little more attention to the future.
And in that future, there should be no future where Lunia became pregnant with the child of other men, witches, or women, excluding Mineba herself.
After all, she couldn't let the love that should be fully poured into the child born between her and Lunia be taken away by another child with no lineage.
"Hey, child."
"Y-yes, yes?!"
Mineba's chilling voice began to seethe like lava.
At the sight of Mineba, who was clearly suppressing her power, even Yuriana, who was beside her, began to panic.
"Can you follow?"
"..................."
It was such a double-edged question.
It was as if she was implying how vast the Academy branch was, and she was also assuming that Yuriana naturally wouldn't be able to follow.
However, no rebuttal came to mind.
She simply thought that, naturally, she had to follow somehow to meet Lunia.
And perhaps, the very fact that a person who had risen to the strongest position solely through magic had asked a question showing concern for her was a consideration for Yuriana herself.
Yuriana replied.
"............Yes. I will follow, definitely."
"............Very well."
It wasn't a proud answer like "Of course I can," or "I can do it."
Any noble would naturally become arrogant.
Compared to the commoners nearby, the power of nobility allowed them to control their subordinates more easily than anything else.
Mineba was quite satisfied, if only a little, with Yuriana's answer, which was unlike other nobles in its lack of arrogance.
Because she didn't seem like the type to get frustrated and give up, even if she encountered a magical barrier here.
Mineba decided to give Yuriana a small gift and unfurled a Magic Circle.
"?!"
Incantation-less, at least 7-Star Magic.
She unleashed magic that three court mages would barely manage, without any restrictions.
Mineba didn't even show any signs of strain.
-Swoosh.
She inhaled the mana of Lunia, her disciple, from the surroundings.
What she sought was Lunia's location.
The destination was in front of that door.
As Mineba waved her hand once, various pieces of information came to her mind.
And when Lunia's location was pinpointed, Mineba enveloped her entire body in mana and 'accelerated' everything about herself.
"............R-Reverse Calculation!"
As Mineba disappeared, Yuriana, who had been watching everything, began to Reverse Calculate the magic.
Of course, she wasn't Reverse Calculating Mineba's magic to dispel it.
It was to Reverse Calculate Mineba's magic and obtain information on where and how she had gone.
Yuriana, too, had never secretly missed out on top grades at the Academy.
Since her family hadn't yet arranged a marriage partner for her, she was simply increasing her own value in this way.
Because her childhood dream was to be a court mage.
Yuriana was someone who might have given up on her dream, but couldn't give up on magic.
And for such a Yuriana, Mineba had specially mixed a small gift within the Magic Circle.
If Yuriana's Reverse Calculation reached this vicinity...
...an 8-Star Magic that would teleport the caster of the Reverse Calculation to her location.
Mineba was powerful enough to do something as crazy as hiding 8-Star Magic within 7-Star Magic.
Although it was only recognized within the Empire, wasn't she still one of the Humanity's Strongest recognized by that very Empire?
That much was child's play for Mineba.
##
-Bang!
Just as Yuriana arrived via teleportation.
Numerous things had already happened to Lunia.
If there was any good fortune, it was that Mineba had stopped the movement before that suspicious-looking liquid could enter Lunia's mouth.
And as Lunia's appearance came into view, Yuriana couldn't help but shriek in horror.
"Lunia-yang!"
How could a person be like that?
How could children of the same nobility kidnap and gang-rape someone?
And at the Academy, an Academy student!
Yuriana was shocked once by Lunia's appearance, and a second time by the ugly naked male nobles behind her.
And the third reason she was shocked was none other than the word that came from Lunia's mouth.
"............M-Master-nim?"
Of course, it was quite a shock for Yuriana, who had only understood the relationship between Mineba and Lunia as somewhat friendly, but that was that, and this was this.
Before she could show her shock, there was something she had to do.
Just as she began to gather mana in her hands to somehow bring Lunia away.
-Swish, swish, swish.
-Thud, roll, roll, roll.
The Archmage's Fury was already being executed.