Ch.187187. Untying the Knot (8)

‘I haven’t seen Senior Junon anywhere since earlier…’

Renias kept looking around, turning her head repeatedly.

She had searched every place Junon might have gone several times, but not even a hair of him could be seen.

“I wanted to ask if he’s taking the same class when Dube Hall is completed.”

This morning, when guild and team invitations came, she had just watched from a distance.

The fact that there were groups showing interest in her senior, and people who carefully observed and acknowledged his skills.

That alone was satisfying enough for her to return to the classroom.

She didn’t know what decision he would make, but she wanted to find him after his lecture ended to ask.

But… she had mistakenly confused the lecture times.

It was because she hadn’t checked the notification in time while moving to accept a monster subjugation request.

The notification had warned that schedules might change for third-year students, announcing that even the timetable would be adjusted to match the completion of Dube Hall.

So, she had been late. And that’s why she’d been searching for him since then.

“Hmm. Where could he be?”

The fact that he wasn’t particularly good at social relationships also made it difficult to track Junon down.

-‘Junon? Um… I don’t really…’

-‘I’m not sure. We’re not close, you know. He’s a loner who always goes around by himself.’

-‘I was in the same group as him once during the practical test after the magic aptitude test, but I couldn’t talk to him even then. He’s just so taciturn.’

In the end, the silver-haired rabbit girl had only one way to find Junon’s location.

‘It might not be as good as Ronellion, but… if I concentrate hard enough, it should work.’

The faint magical power she had sensed from Junon.

She thought of detecting it. After all, Mizar-type magical power wasn’t that common.

As Renias closed her eyes and tried to concentrate,

───!!

A sudden explosion was heard.

It was an unexpected blast, but the location was clear enough that she didn’t even need to use magic detection.

“Smoke…”

The location was Dube Hall.

It was obvious that this girl, who couldn’t ignore incidents, would head there.

However, putting out the fire wasn’t the issue.

─Over here, please intercept with non-fire attribute magic!

─Three from the right flank, two from the front!

A battle was taking place in the middle of the academy.

Monsters and elementals, having drunk plenty of magical energy, were pouring out of Dube Hall.

Judging by the numbers, they would continue fighting unless the experimental wing, the source of the magical energy, was sealed off.

Renias, who had gleaned this information, didn’t hesitate.

“This is…!”

“White light source… that means.”

Without looking back, everyone there knew who had arrived.

“Let’s go!!”

With Renias as a reliable support, they advanced.

No briefing was necessary. They just needed to protect Renias.

As if understanding their intentions, dazzling beams of light were fired simultaneously, intercepting various monsters and elemental spirits at once.

“So there’s a cave.”

Then they needed to eliminate the source quickly.

Renias, who was about to follow them, had her hand grabbed by someone.

“Found you, finally…!”

Senia.

A member of the Tembris Party who served as a close-combat vanguard, and was known for her brilliant mind in spotting and exploiting monster weaknesses on the battlefield.

But why would such a person be looking for her?

Renias pointed at herself in confusion.

“Uh, yes? Me?”

“Yes. I’m talking to you, Renias.”

After nodding in affirmation, Senia lowered her voice significantly, conscious of their surroundings.

“I’m asking you a favor. Right now, go into Dube Hall alone.”

Monsters were pouring out of Dube Hall, which had turned into a cave.

They were just starting to intercept them and advance.

It made no sense to suddenly ask her to enter Dube Hall alone.

“Um, could you at least explain why?”

“It’s hard to explain… but right now, you’re the only one who can help.”

Senia answered before Renias could even ask why.

“Junon is trapped somewhere in that building. If we seal off the laboratory area, he could be in danger too.”

Renias’s heart sank at the news that Junon was inside Dube Hall.

Though it was nearing completion, construction wasn’t fully finished yet.

She knew this from asking while helping with lunch service.

There were still unstable areas that needed more refinement, and parts where facilities and equipment weren’t completely installed, requiring caution.

Hearing that Junon had gone into such a place of his own accord, Renias listened more carefully.

“Then… shouldn’t we find him? Prioritizing detection so we can locate each other…”

“Detection magic won’t work. We’ll be discovered!”

Senia adamantly rejected the use of detection magic.

Why?

Instinctively, Renias sensed that Senia was hiding something.

But she wasn’t going to reveal it.

‘It seems like the others don’t know either…’

The people gathered here didn’t seem to know that Junon was in the building. His name hadn’t been mentioned once.

She couldn’t tell anyone. Except for Renias.

“Senior Senia. You’re saying I must go alone, right?”

Renias chose to ask a redundant question.

And Senia’s answer was:

“That’s right. Just you alone, without telling anyone else.”

It was an answer confirming that she wanted Renias to be the only one to move.

“That’s all I needed to know.”

Though she didn’t know what Senia was hiding, she realized that some kind of incident was still unfolding here.

She was certain that the contradictory confirmation must have another meaning.

‘When she said we’d be discovered, does that mean someone else is there?’

An issue between Junon and that person.

That needed to be resolved first. Isn’t that what she meant?

Renias unfurled her staff.

She alone dashed through the combatants fighting the monsters.

Soon after, the silver-haired girl would find the exact location of Junon and his opponent.

***

It was just luck.

Being pushed toward the entrance and hearing her voice.

In this place with thick shelter walls, human voices shouldn’t travel far, but the command to lie down was barely transmitted through the tiny gaps between the building debris piled at the collapsed entrance.

“Senior…”

Having barely prevented the attack, Junon’s body was injured all over, causing Renias no small amount of worry.

‘Still, it’s fortunate.’

It was only this bad because she had rushed over after hearing the news belatedly.

With Ronellion, they could surely rescue him.

With the help of other faculty and students gathered nearby, the rescue shouldn’t be too difficult.

-‘That’s right. Just you alone, without telling anyone else.’

However, Senia had grabbed her wrist and asked her to strictly follow this condition. And hadn’t she also said not to use detection magic?

She knew something was wrong from the briefing process.

She also vaguely sensed that something was being hidden.

But Renias didn’t ask for more reasons.

In a situation where people were isolated in the building, why had she come looking for just one person?

A contradiction had formed.

But who was Senia?

Renias had heard of her.

A close-combat vanguard of the Tembris Party, known as a scout who could identify monster information the fastest. That was Senia.

Why would someone with such intelligence not prioritize rescue?

Moreover, Junon’s response was also suspicious.

What would someone like him do in that situation?

He would send a signal requesting rescue and take minimal measures to protect himself.

Believing there must be some reason, Renias had come here alone.

Just before Junon was about to confront Demian with full force.

She could also guess why she was told to move alone without calling others.

‘…a hostage.’

In the opposite corner, a counter staff member was tied up with rope.

It was clear who had done this.

It was the monster with the slimy, murky magical power she had just felt.

“…why.”

The monster slammed into the wall mutters something.

“Why did you shoot me instead of that bastard…”

“What nonsense have you been muttering about?”

“Don’t cling to a fake like Junon… to a hypocrite like him…!”

“Fake… you say?”

“Yes! Why did you reach out to such a weak, fake bastard and attack me! Renias, a woman with power like you should know better!! Saving the stronger one is the right thing to do for the future!”

Renias let out an exasperated sigh.

“You call that reasoning? After kidnapping an innocent person, planning to lure my senior as a hostage and kill him here…!”

These were horrific acts.

As twisted as the monster’s transformed body.

Yet the monster doesn’t waver in his conviction.

“It’s natural logic. For the advancement of humanity, we must eliminate the weak!! Such sacrifices are perfectly justified!! If a strong person dies trying to save a weak one, think of how great a loss that is? That’s the kind of person he is! An incompetent one who hinders human development by reducing the number of strong people to protect the weak!!”

Once again, Demian points at the staggering Junon.

“It’s not too late…! Miss Renias, dispose of that fake. That will solve everything!”

Survival of the fittest.

The absolute, unchanging truth of the world that the monster had believed in.

He lists them all and asks her to attack Junon.

‘Ah. I understand now.’

This monster is saying exactly the same things as those who once trampled on the weak and poor.

Human advancement…? Elimination of the weak…?

Sacrifices for that are justified?

White magical power filled with emotion vibrates throughout the area.

Such sophistry didn’t work on this girl, who was full of righteousness and justice.

“Why… why on earth…!”

Fragments inside the shelter float up.

Her signature light beams alone couldn’t possibly satisfy her anger.

Merciless telekinetic magic.

All the things Demian had broken and shattered rose up and began to strike the criminal directly.

Thud, crack, crash!

“Renias, why would someone noble like you choose such a weakling!!!”

The monster still had excess physical strength and magical power.

“I won, didn’t I? I’m stronger, aren’t I? I’m more suitable for you since I can at least fight back like this!!!”

It wasn’t impossible to break the randomly flying fragments.

But that would only last for a moment. He couldn’t hold out long if Renias attacked with full force.

But strangely, the attack stopped.

“I’ll make one promise. No, perhaps it’s better to call it a proposal?”

“Proposal…?”

“If I judge that you’re better than Senior Junon in even one aspect of the test I propose, I’ll accept your request.”

She answered that she would set the criteria herself and wouldn’t reveal the conditions except for one.

“Reeeally?”

But even this was an opportunity for Demian.

He hadn’t believed much in divine blessings before. But now he could believe it.

This opportunity itself was a stroke of luck.

“Of course, of course I’ll do it!”

What an opportunity.

But as soon as he eagerly accepted, Renias extended her hand and completed multiple formations.

Whirr-

“Respond to my attack. That’s all there is to it.”

Simple, but it was definitely not an opportunity.