Chapter 119: Lake – Response

R̀éàd̀​ ̀ôn̈ ̃K̈ât̂R̃ẽ​âd̂ín̈g̈​C̈äf̂é

The worst-case scenario, one Sugar had not even wanted to imagine. The numerous baby Land Fish had settled by the lakeside outside the cave.

Their size was abnormal, some were as big as bluefin tuna with their teeth bared.

“They’re enormous. They could swallow a newborn whole.”

“Your example sounds like something an Inquisition member would say…”

As soon as they flew up above the water, the Land Fish rushed at them.

After blowing them away with a strong gust of wind, they landed on the ground. Flying wasn’t efficient in terms of energy consumption.

While landing, Sugar thought to herself, ‘There are too many of them. Dealing with them one by one would be endless.’

“Professor, buy me some time. If you can handle them all by yourself, go ahead.”

“I’ve been busy fighting your friends earlier. It’s hard to control the forest. Using that much magic right now is impossible.”

“Then buy me some time. And they’re not my friends.”

Those wicked cultists only show up when it suits them.

Sugar opened her last mana potion. Since Riley wasn’t here, she needed a lot of mana.

Just as she was about to drink the contents.

“…Student!”

At the urgent shout, Sugar turned her head.

She didn’t understand why that thing was there. She didn’t even know how it was possible.

The skeletal mother Land Fish had flown in instantly, it was the size of a large whale. Even though it was just bones, it was still huge.

Sugar held the mana potion in her mouth and dodged to the side. She narrowly avoided it, but her side was grazed by a spike.

The sharp pain made Sugar grimace.

Regardless, the Land Fish, still clattering its bones, burrowed into the ground.

“Why is that thing moving? Is there a trait that allows it to move even when it’s just bones?”

“A mother’s lo—”

“If you’re going to spout nonsense about a mother’s love, I’ll get Venom to bite you.”

“I don’t know either.”

Sugar spat out a sarcastic remark.

“Hey, student. Just because I’m a professor of demonology doesn’t mean I know all the mysteries of monsters.”

“You know more than me, so I asked. Can you handle it alone?”

“Even so, I’m a professor of Steele. It’s not about whether I can, but whether I must.”

Trace, with a calm expression despite the situation, raised his staff. It seemed like he was chanting a spell, doing something from within the ground.

Sugar chanted a whirlwind spell again, blowing away the baby Land Fish around her.

‘There’s no end… I need time to prepare.’

She finally finished drinking the contents of the mana potion.

‘Can I do it?’

‘No. Borrowing the professor’s words, ‘I must.’’

‘If these hungry monsters are left alone, they will flow into the village and harm people. The cause of their growth is likely this box. It’s also my responsibility to clean up.’

‘I was told not to cause trouble for those I care about. As long as I handle the aftermath properly, it should be fine.’

Sugar chanted a flight spell.

Normally, mages don’t use magic while flying. It’s more accurate to say they can’t. In the magic system spread by the Saint, using other magic while ‘flying’ is impossible.

Actions that aren’t magic, or invoking other mysteries, are possible.

Like now, simply creating mana orbs.

Sugar, positioned in the middle of the lake, raised her staff high. Soon, a small mana orb appeared in response to her will.

And it didn’t stop there.

Then another one.

And another.

Again, another.

In sync with her pounding heartbeat, one to the east, one to the west. One diagonally above, one below. Above her head, below her feet.

They kept appearing, continuously.

The number of mana orbs Sugar could ‘properly control’ was three. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t create more.

If everywhere was a target, then it didn’t matter if she couldn’t control them properly.

She just had to create as many as she could, with all her strength.

The little mage trembled with excitement. Partly because her internal mana was surging, but also because witnessing such a wondrous sight brought her joy.

If it were night, it would have been even more beautiful. Sugar vaguely thought as she lowered her staff.

The bombardment began.

The trajectories of the white mana orbs tangled chaotically as they rained down on the ground. With a whoosh, they mercilessly fell; appearing to the world as if a meteor shower was striking the forest.

The ground was torn apart, the monsters were struck. Some flew into the sky, some fell towards Trace.

It was chaos.

Trace, who had quickly dodged, looked up at the sky, ‘Kids these days are amazing.’

After a brief moment of watching, he turned his gaze forward again. The skeletal undead was hungry. It’s pitiful that it can never escape its hunger.

He was tracking the location of the mother Land Fish underground, hardening the ground around it. Trying to neutralize it wasn’t easy. Without flesh, it was even faster, dodging here and there.

He was keeping it in check, so it wasn’t a big problem. First, they needed to deal with the baby Land Fish here.

Making sure that girl wasn’t harmed was the priority.

Trace, who was diligently working on his goal, suddenly sensed something.

“…?”

A sharp surge of mana was rapidly approaching.

His expression slightly twisted. Not enough for others to notice.

At that moment, mana orbs began to form in the air again.

“Student…”

Isn’t she overdoing it? Trace muttered.

Indeed, Sugar was gasping for breath. But she was still focusing, furrowing her brow.

Inside, she had confidence and stubbornness.

‘I can do it. I can do it alone.’

Since there was no one to alter her mana properties, the concentration was much denser than usual, causing severe mana consumption. Sugar’s mana was inherently weak in attack power.

But once used, it could be recycled. She thought she could pull the mana restored in this space back again.

The second bombardment, attempted while staggering.

The tangled trajectories of light and the sound of impacts on the ground soothed her tired heart.

‘Just… one more time.’

It was hard to see the situation due to the thick dust. But I need to be sure. The professor will dodge on his own, so it should be fine.

She raised her staff again.

‘Huh?’

Her vision swayed. The world turned upside down. To be precise, Sugar was turned upside down.

She gritted her teeth.

She recalled the sight Riley had shown her before. Calmly dealing with enemies, even controlling the weather.

What emotion did Sugar feel when she saw that?

The thrill of family. Respect as a mage. An inexplicable flutter.

And. A sense of inferiority as a person.

‘I have to do that too!’

Only then can Riley leave with peace of mind!

Just before falling into the water, she finished her chant. Sugar, who had chanted the flight spell again, flew high into the sky and screamed.

A scream filled with frustration, matching her emotions.

In sync with her emotions, mana orbs formed.

Sugar still didn’t understand her own emotions. It was hard to distinguish them one by one, or to name them. Still, she just screamed.

Someone abruptly grabbed Sugar’s hand.

“…I can do it alone.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’ve already done it. This is the last one. Let me go.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You can barely fly.”

Riley spoke more sharply than usual. His low voice, trying to steady his breath soaked in sweat, struck her eardrums.

His eyes were as cold as ice. His blue eyes, already cool, made her mood sink.

If it were the usual Sugar, she would have tried to comfort him.

“Why… are you angry?”

But now, she just didn’t understand.

“I haven’t done anything to bother you.”

“…What?”

“I haven’t been clingy. I haven’t been a nuisance. I even left a note telling you to wait patiently. There’s nothing bad for you. So why did you come chasing after me…”

“Can you really say that after seeing your state now?”

“This much is nothing.”

Getting hurt doesn’t matter. Whether flesh is torn, legs are broken, or teeth are knocked out. No matter what happens in the end, compared to the loss of senses, nothing is scary.

“I’m sorry for making you worry. But… but I have to prove it.”

The qualification for freedom. The qualification to set you free.

To achieve that, I must calm this chaos on my own.

“I can do it alone too… I decided to become strong like you… to give up relying on others. To give up my weak heart.”

It’s a story I’ve told before. I won’t infringe on your freedom. I will embrace you. I will harden my heart.

I don’t like you not being by my side, but I hate even more that you’re being bound because of me.

With that in mind, I came out alone. To lighten your burden even a little, I set out on an adventure alone.

And so–

“I’ll become stronger and stronger, and in the end, I’ll…!”

Lowering her head, Sugar continued her words, then raised her face to drive in the final nail.

Then, her words stopped.

Honestly, she didn’t know why. The sharp mana that had been emanating from him since earlier, or his much colder tone than usual.

She knew he was angry, so she expected his expression to match. She didn’t think it was something to get so angry about.

Regardless, knowing Riley’s current emotions, she expected a certain expression. People usually do that, right? Like, oh, that person is in this state, and predict their behavior based on that emotional state.

But the Riley she saw was unexpected.

His furrowed brow had relaxed, and he was calmly staring at Sugar. He looked a bit tired from the long flight, but that was all.

Their eyes met.

“I won’t say much.”

Then, with just one short phrase, Riley whispered as he brought his face closer.

His breath touched her ear.

What followed was so sweet it made her waist tingle.

“I don’t want you to leave my side.”

An answer to ‘Why are you angry?’

Sugar, dumbfounded, couldn’t say anything and let her shoulders droop.

The flight spell was released, and she almost fell, but Riley quickly caught her.