Chapter 52
Chapter 52
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Peaceful Midterm Week (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mareile watched from afar as Liv clutched her arm and headed toward the small building.
As a member of the counterintelligence unit, her objective was to make Liv Lavre abandon her investigation into her father. Of course, a person's will isn't easily broken by a single threat.
But the difficulty of this mission was low. Torturing a young mage's mind was out of the question anyway, so she planned only to instill the fear that Goliath would be watching her until the end.
An injured prey instinctively flees to the safest place it knows. If Liv Lavre ignored the warning and bared her teeth again, that spot would be her final refuge.
As expected, even after a long time passed, she didn't come out, and magic barriers surrounded the area.
'Hmm... A life-sealing barrier.'
Mareile recognized it as a well-crafted defensive spell from its form. The incantation was thoroughly concealed to make it hard to break from the outside.
However, it wasn't impossible to breach. What to do? The lights seemed to be off inside, but it looked like someone was with her.
Should she sneak in and leave a gift by the pillow? When she woke up and realized someone had been watching her, she'd never dare to rebel again.
Just as she took a step forward—
Crack.
"Kgh!?"
The ground suddenly gave way, and dense spikes emerged from the floor.
Why was there a trap in a place like this?
Mareile rarely panicked at the bizarre situation she hadn't anticipated encountering right in the middle of the academy.
"That was close... Huh?"
As she barely regained her balance, a massive iron plate studded with sharp spikes flew toward her.
Bang—!! The constant shield she had up shattered with the sound, pushing her body backward.
'A double trap!'
Sweat beading on her brow, she blocked the iron plate with both arms, sat down, and summoned her iron hounds. But a step ahead, excruciating pain exploded from below her waist.
"Grrgh!!"
It hadn't come only from the front. It was a vicious trap designed to activate from both sides with a time delay the moment the fake floor was stepped on.
A large rock smashed into her spine, and she collapsed to the ground. Even in that state, her mind raced for a way out.
She still had her magic and her autonomous advanced defense system, the iron hounds.
'If the trap paralyzes the lower body, it's not meant to kill. If I play dead and wait for the guy to come... Huh?'
Thud—!
As if mocking her thought, a massive wooden mallet dropped right above her head as she lay there.
She rolled aside quickly to avoid her skull being crushed and felt the sensation of a shoe sole lightly grinding toward her head.
"See? This is all skill born from experience. Even the slickest bastards—lay out four of these, and one always gets caught."
Her lower body was still wrecked. With her face humiliatingly pressed to the dirt, she couldn't see him.
Mareile gathered as much information as possible from her attacker's voice and demeanor.
'Young man, over 180 cm tall. Smells like cigarettes. Wearing slippers. Weapon... none.'
Even if she couldn't move, she could fight back. Her two iron hounds lunged at the man in response to her will. But—
Crunch!! Crackle—!!! Grind!!
The gruesome sound of bare hands crushing metal echoed. Moments later, two heavy metal lumps thudded onto the dirt.
"Whoa, iron hounds, huh? Perfect timing. I was thinking these traps were risky anyway and needed better defenses. These self-repair too? I'll put 'em to good use."
The man collected the hounds, then patted her down. She vividly felt the humiliation as he took a flask of liquor from her waist and a cigar from her breast pocket, but she couldn't resist.
'My mana... it's gone?'
"Man, booze and smokes—top-shelf stuff. From the Vaudis region. I'll take good care of these. Huh? Hey, where'd you get this picture?"
"......"
"Not talking? Fine. I'll look into it later..."
With things like this, she had two options: bite down on the poison hidden in her molar for suicide, or use her still-free arms to hurl hidden weapons.
As Mareile twisted to preserve her last shred of pride, the man punched the spot on her waist where the rock had hit earlier.
"Graaaah—!!"
"Shh. Quiet. The Baroness is sleeping."
Tears and saliva soaked the dirt. Not only that, her lower body trembled, leaking warm liquid.
She was completely subdued.
The unexpected chain traps, strength to disarm the iron hounds, some means to seal magic, and taking away even physical freedom—it all went smoothly, chillingly so.
Even in this situation, he spoke in a dry tone, as if it were routine.
"Nerves are mostly severed, but the temple can fix it if you go now. Crush the spine two more times here, though, and even a Monarch high priest won't get you out of a wheelchair. Don't wanna shit and piss yourself forever? Stay still."
Even without his warning, the agony had her on the verge of passing out. The man grabbed her foot and dragged her to the academy outskirts.
His destination reeked of filthy garbage—the incinerator.
Is he planning to dispose of me here?
Against her fears, though, he dumped her whole into a large trash bin.
Sizzle! The sound of lighting a cigarette.
"Garbage truck comes at 5 a.m. Yell then, and you can get to the temple."
"......"
"Just saved your life. Least you can do is answer."
"......What’s your purpose."
Gnashing her teeth against the pain, Mareile still showed hostility. Goliaths never break until death. All for the kingdom and humanity. No matter how strong the foe, she had no reason to fear.
"To expose Paris Greenwood's true face to the world? Or to overthrow the Penheim royals?"
"......"
"Either way, you'll regret threatening us. Goliaths pursue their targets to the end."
"What bullshit."
Creak. The recycling bin lid cracked open slightly. Through the gap, devilishly black eyes stared at her.
"Keep doing what you're doing. Block info, obstruct paths... That's your whole reason for existing. You gonna listen if I tell you to stop? But..."
Those razor-sharp eyes made Mareile feel a terrifying sensation leaking from her still-numb lower body once more.
"Touch Liv Greenwood directly one more time, and you die by my hand."
"......!"
"Not just you—all you smug Goliath bastards. This ain't a threat."
Who the hell was this guy to spout such madness?
"It's a notice."
Unable to find the answer, Mareile blacked out.
When she woke, the temple was already treating her. Fortunately, rehab for a few months, and she'd walk again.
With her body still not fully recovered, she urgently wired a report to headquarters.
Requesting adjustment for abnormal mission difficulty, reporting what happened at the academy, and relaying everything about the suspicious man protecting Liv Greenwood.
Every word of their conversation, not a single one omitted.
Days later, she received a reply. It bore Goliath's seal but came from the royals, not the mountains.
Reinforcements? Or orders to recover and infiltrate again?
Heart pounding, Mareile opened the directive and sank to the floor.
"Ahh......"
Inside was only the empty black envelope she'd once shown Liv.
The grueling midterms were finally over. She'd submitted the last report on a different topic after all.
As Liv headed back to the dorm after the exhausting week, Karen stopped her. She grilled her about where she'd spent that night before.
"Liv, where were you really that night?"
"Told you. Pulled an all-nighter at the library."
"Don't lie. I asked the librarian on duty that night. No way people wouldn't know if you were there."
"Must've missed me in the corner."
Liv turned her head snottily as usual and went on her way. As Karen felt an odd unease at her friend's attitude, Liv, walking ahead, asked:
"Hey, Karen. You have a boyfriend, right?"
"Huh? Why suddenly?"
"Have you... ever let him touch your belly?"
The out-of-left-field question made Karen tilt her head, then scowl.
"Of course not."
"Why not?"
"Feels like he'd think I'm fat. Better to let him touch my chest."
"I see......"
Liv subtly turned, prodding her chest and lower belly. The motion had a strangely seductive air.
Karen snorted and grabbed her waist in a hug.
"Well, a baroness like our Liv wouldn't worry about that~! So skinny, where's the flesh to grab?"
"Ka, Karen! Wait...! Where are you touching, eek!?"
Liv barely pried her friend off and stepped back two paces, shielding her belly with both arms.
Even blushing bright red, she looked beautiful.
"Anyway, boyfriend or not, I'd get serious and say no if anyone tried touching my belly."
"Really?"
"Yeah, just ruins the mood."
"Ruins the mood?"
"Obviously? What'd you think it'd feel like for you, Liv?"
"Uh, um? Like... kinda ticklish, or floaty......"
"What?"
Liv flailed her hands in panic, clearly flustered.
"N, nothing! Right! Yeah, it feels bad. Yup!"
"......Liv?"
"Forget it! Th, thanks Karen! I'm heading to the dorm to rest now, see ya later......!"
"Huh? Wait, Liv!!"
Despite her shout, Liv bolted away with her head down. Karen reached out futilely, muttering at the direction she'd vanished.
"We're in the same room......"