Disappearance (Part 2)
I couldn't understand what they meant by that.
Rana had gone to help her grandfather today, and she'd told not just me, but her friends too. So those two should know that perfectly well….
For now, I shared what I knew.
"Far as I know, Rana's away on a request from the professor. I couldn't meet her yesterday for the same reason."
"Liar."
Rana's friend glared at me with a resentful expression. That's when Elraim stepped in.
"It seems there's a misunderstanding. Friends of Miss Rana. The young master hasn't seen her since the practical session."
"Wh-who…."
"I'm Elraim, dispatched from the Arden family to watch over the young master. Might I hear more details?"
Elraim spoke in a gentle tone, soothing them. The mention of being a watcher seemed to ease their guard. At least she made a better conversation partner than me, so I stayed quiet and observed.
"R-Rana's missing…."
"But she said she'd be busy for a couple of days. Not just me—the princess and others heard it too."
"We heard that…."
"Then could you explain why you're saying this?"
Rana's friend hesitated, glancing at Elraim, then finally spoke.
"She hasn't shown up to a single lecture…."
"It happens when you're swamped with work. Since the professor's her grandfather, she'd have permission for that much."
"No. Last year, Rana never skipped lectures. She only went there in her spare time."
I cut into their pointless back-and-forth to end it.
"Talking to the professor would be faster than coming to me."
"We did. But Professor Ratral hasn't seen Rana either."
Her words sparked a vague sense of unease, a prickling anxiety.
"We searched separately too. But she's nowhere. Neither Rana nor her summons…."
My eyes widened at that.
"Since when have Rana's summons been gone?"
"No kids have been around since yesterday…."
I ground my teeth.
Rana had contracts with over a hundred summons. Most were ordinary animals—dogs, cats, birds, that sort of thing. She couldn't keep them all around her at once, so aside from a few, she let them roam free in the academy. That's why you could spot plenty of animals marked with her contract sigil around campus.
If all her summons had vanished… there was only one reason.
The master was dead—or facing death.
And of the two deadly threats to Rana, the nearer one was obvious.
"Go. I'll find Rana."
"No. Not until you hand her over…."
At that, I unleashed my killing intent to drive them off. Mana thick with malice pressed down on them.
"Rana's my friend…. I won't let a devil like you take her—never…!"
But despite their terror, they didn't budge. That kind of reaction only came from someone who truly cherished her.
The frustrating sight burned in my gut. I couldn't waste more time on them.
Sleep
No choice—I put the two to sleep with magic and laid them on the bench.
"Young master…."
"Sorry, sis. Just… stay quiet for a bit."
I cut off Elraim like that. Then I expanded my mana sense to its maximum.
I drew up mana, weaving detection and search spells into it. My senses stretched out.
The range: one kilometer. The radius I could feel at full power right now.
Where are you.
I kicked off the ground and moved. First, toward the magic department—where this episode happened in the novel.
I reached the magic department grounds in two minutes, dashing everywhere, combing every inch. I checked each building meticulously.
The flood of small animals and insects in my senses gave me a headache, but I pressed on silently.
Finding one girl in this vast academy bordered on impossible, but there was a clue.
All her contracted summons would be gathered around her now. So I just needed a spot with over a hundred life signatures clustered together.
"Damn it…."
Nothing. The timeline shift must've changed the location too.
Next, the general department. Nothing there either. There were clusters of life signs, but they were just classrooms in special lectures.
I headed to other areas. Knight department, craft department—no hits.
Where the hell did they hide you…!
Her personality meant it wouldn't happen outside academy grounds. Even if it did, it'd be inside for sure.
Think.
I recalled the setup. Even when it went down in the magic department, they'd hidden her in a remote spot on the grounds—but right by a building, perfect for maximum damage.
Wait—there?
One place in Tianis fit every condition perfectly.
The towering building between the magic and craft departments—the arena used for entrance ceremonies.
I scanned inside with mana sense. Countless life signatures. Over a hundred.
This was it.
I picked the locked door and slipped inside, stopping before the underground waiting room door.
I swallowed hard and slowly opened it.
"Young master, that's…."
"……."
Inside were various lifeforms. Mostly the ordinary animals I'd mentioned, plus Rana's special summons guarding right at the door.
The four great spirits: Urr, Nok, Silpi, Sally.
The emerald-horned deer, Ren.
At the center, directing them: the bird, now in its true form, the phoenix Nene.
And in the middle of them all, Rana Heytald lay—her body pitch-black, barely retaining a human shape.
"Ah…."
That was all I could manage. No words could define the storm raging inside me.
I approached Rana slowly. The summons threatened me. I ignored them and pressed on.
Then Nene blocked my path.
"Move."
Nene shook its flame-wreathed head side to side. A desperate bid to protect its master—but only getting in the way.
"Nene, move."
At its name, it startled. Worlds apart from its tiny bird form.
But no time for that.
"If you want to save your master, move!"
Nene stepped aside. The others followed.
I knelt before her and examined her. Hair, clothes—everything was so blackened, no original colors remained.
I reached out a trembling hand to her cheek. Darkness seeped in at my touch.
I stroked anyway.
"Why. Why now…."
My throat clogged; my voice shook.
I'd hoped at first it wasn't true. Just a mistake, or the plot derailment causing something different from the novel.
That would've been far better than this.
Rana had two deaths tied to her. This was one: her unique episode, dubbed "Corruption."
And it should've happened in the second semester break.
Because that's when protagonist Evan learns magic and walks the magic swordsman path.
Now—six months early, mid-first semester—it shouldn't have.
But it did.
The cause? No question.
Me.
I'd drawn attention, and this happened.
If I'd shut it down harder, cut ties cleanly… this wouldn't have.
Careless.
Yeah, way too careless. My half-assed dodging, thinking I could just ignore it—that bullshit mindset caused this.
I have to save her. No matter what.
This was entirely my fault.
So I'd take responsibility and restore her.
We were still in the first semester; Evan hadn't gone magic swordsman yet, so minimum conditions weren't met.
Only I could save her.
But her state was beyond bad—worst-case.
Rana's "Corruption" had three stages.
Stage 1: Asleep, unchanged body. Corruption spreading through flesh.
Stage 2: Skin blackening. Darkness filling heart and brain, taking control.
Stage 3: Fully blackened, like now. Final phase before corruption dominates.
Not good at all.
In hours, she'd corrupt fully, rampage with summons, wreck the academy.
Her summons would grow stronger under her power. Only way to stop: kill her.
Evan saved her in the novel because it was stage 1.
The game had a bad end here. Stage 2 needed a specific item; stage 3 was basically hopeless, guaranteeing her death.
But this was reality. Not coded paths.
Even stage 3, savable.
But to do it… I'd sacrifice a lot.
So the question: Was Rana worth it?
Answer came quick.
Of course.
She's a lead. The center of this world.
The core driving Academy Genius Magic Swordsman.
So you all deserve happy lives.
Not wasted on some dogshit death, but reaching the ending, claiming your happiness.
For that, I'd do anything. Use all this world's info, knowledge, my power.
Even unsealing what I'd locked away for a normal life—I'd use it without hesitation.
Even if it wrecked my extra life.
Resolved, I said with grim determination,
"Sis, don't ask questions—just help me…."
Elraim responded with action.
"What are your orders, young master?"
She knelt on one knee. I laid it out.
"Library, third floor, section 108, shelf 4, third book—page 52 has dried sunbloom. Magic department pond center: silver moonflower. Knight department first training ground corner: red stone. Get them. Back to the senior workshop in one hour."
"Understood."
Elraim bolted from the waiting room without a word. She'd make it in time.
I turned to the summons.
"Take Rana to my dorm. Don't let anyone see. Got it?"
Phoenix Nene nodded for them. They moved her like fragile glass.
"Time for me to prep too."
Plenty of materials left to gather. What I told Elraim was easy stuff, no special conditions.
"Hang on a bit. I'll save you for sure."
Once more, I took up my sword to save someone.