Chap 87-Stalker

 

The ‘Farm’ at night, completely cloaked in darkness, was already a scene of utter chaos.

Exploding storms of Mana, the roars of magical beasts, the screams of students.

Through the heart of that pandemonium, a knight cut through like a streak of lightning.

Bella Staren.

With a cat perched on her shoulder, she lightly dashed across the dark, muddy ground.

The red cloak draped over her shoulders billowed as it cut through the wind, and her golden hair flashed, scattering blood and dust.

Frankly, it was a ridiculous sight.

A knight running across the battlefield with a cat on her shoulder.

Bella gritted her teeth inwardly, but now was not the time for such thoughts.

Whoosh—!

The very instant a magical beast leaped out, Bella’s sword drew a silver arc in the air.

Before it could even scream, the magical beast’s body was disintegrated, scattering into black ash.

“It’s the professor! Professor Bella is here!”

A student, somewhere in despair, discovered her and shouted.

That cry became a spark of hope, spreading around.

A sound mixed with relief and cheers.

Bella nodded her head towards them in response, and without hesitation, threw herself towards the next group of magical beasts.

“Hmm, quite skilled for her level. She’ll be reaching level 7 soon, won’t she?”

In her ear, the languid and haughty voice of the cat sitting on her shoulder whispered.

Bella once again gritted her teeth inwardly at the tone, unsure whether it was pure admiration or subtle sarcasm.

Thinking about how she was scolded at the faculty meeting for student rescue after showing up in this ridiculous state…

“Professor Bella… Aren’t you a knight who’s been through many battles? Do we really have to point out things that are embarrassing for both of us?”

“I’m sorry. I have my reasons…”

But what could she do?

If she was told to do it, she had to do it.

Bella shook the blood of the magical beasts from her sword and glanced at her shoulder.

As if her shoulder was a fluffy bed, the pure white fur ball was lying comfortably, oblivious to the world.

Even the faint purring sound could be heard.

‘Can I really trust her?’

Anaide, the Witch of Destruction.

The eldest daughter of the great Witch Oz, and once a powerful transcendent feared even by the gods.

If even half of her story recorded in mythology was true, she would undoubtedly be an enormous help, more than enough to turn this desperate situation around.

Surely, that should have been the case…

“Mmm… I’m going to sleep a little…”

From above her shoulder, a sleepy, languid voice was heard.

“If you happen to meet Yeon… wake me up then…”

With those words, the cat curled up completely and began to fall asleep in earnest.

Even snoring softly.

“…….”

Bella was momentarily speechless.

‘This is… the Witch of Destruction?’

She couldn’t believe it.

No… she didn’t want to believe it.

Emilia, a professor from the witch clan, had personally guaranteed her identity, so it was likely to be true, but she sincerely wished that all of this was Emilia’s misunderstanding or a lie.

Kieeeek-!

Just then, another group of magical beasts screamed and surged forward.

Bella suppressed her complicated feelings and carefully swung her sword, making sure not to wake her up as she slept soundly on her shoulder.

‘Where on earth is Yeon?’

According to the original plan, Yeon should be using the Evil God’s power to lure all the magical beasts in this area by now.

But unlike the plan, the magical beasts were scattered widely, indiscriminately attacking students all over the ‘Farm’.

Yeon’s plan had failed, or…

‘Could something have happened to Yeon?’

An ominous premonition weighed heavily on Bella’s heart.

That child would never abandon the students, even if the plan went wrong.

She must be in danger, trying to face all these magical beasts alone.

As the thought reached there, Bella’s sword tore through the air even more fiercely.

How many magical beasts had she cut down, how deep into the forest had she gone?

Running towards the direction where the fierce battle sounds were coming from, she finally saw an open field with dozens of students gathered.

“…What is this?”

Bella doubted her eyes for a moment.

There, the students, with their groups mixed together, were blocking the magical beasts’ onslaught with a surprisingly organized formation.

Close combatants formed a solid shield wall at the front, and behind them, mages and archers poured out support fire without rest.

When casualties occurred, Healing magic users in the rear immediately ran to treat the wounds.

Bella was unknowingly impressed by the way they moved organically, as if they were one body.

‘…Amazing.’

Members of different groups had united on the spot in this short amount of time to maximize their strength.

As expected of the academy’s students.

To not lose their composure in this crisis situation and find the best solution.

But that was Bella’s misconception.

“Professor! This way!”

A student discovered Bella and shouted.

As Bella joined them, a student who seemed to be the leader of the group approached and reported the situation.

“Now that you’ve come, Professor, I feel like we can finally live. I don’t know how long we could have held out with just us…”

“No, you’ve handled it wonderfully. How did you come up with this formation?”

The student shook his head at Bella’s praise.

“We didn’t do it. That… Crimson Monster…”

“Crimson Monster?”

What a bizarre name.

“Yes. A monster covered in blood suddenly appeared and saved us. And then she said that if we were scattered, we would be defeated individually, so we should gather in one place and cooperate with each other… After saying that, she left to save other students.”

‘A monster covered in blood…’

Bella’s mind seemed to go blank.

‘Saved the students…?’

In that moment, the only name that flashed through Bella’s mind.

Yeon!

Without realizing it, Bella approached the student urgently, as if she was about to grab his collar.

Her eyes were filled with desperation.

“That child… no, what was that person’s condition like? Was the injury… was the injury that severe?!”

The student flinched and took a step back at Bella’s desperate momentum.

“Yes? Ah, yes… well…”

The student stammered for a moment, slightly frowning as if it was terrible just to recall it.

“To be honest… it was pretty serious. It was hard to believe that she was alive… her whole body was torn, and her face was almost unrecognizable.”

The moment she heard those words, Bella’s heart thumped and fell to the ground.

Despair covered her whole body.

That child, once again.

She had been enduring all that pain alone.

“But…”

The student tilted his head and added.

“Considering that, she was moving incredibly well? She seemed pretty fine.”

At those words, Bella was momentarily stunned.

And soon, Yeon’s bizarre ability came to mind.

The more severe the injury, the stronger the contradictory power.

‘That’s right… that’s what it was.’

She breathed a sigh of relief that at least her life wasn’t in immediate danger.

Bella suppressed her complicated emotions and asked the student again.

“So, where did that ‘Crimson Monster’ person… go now?”

…

After the ominous energy erupted from the north, the endless onslaught of magical beasts poured in.

Lea and Clara desperately held on, protecting the unconscious Lina. If it hadn’t been for Lina’s ‘luck’ ability, they would have collapsed long ago.

But the moment High-ranking Monsters appeared en masse, that miraculous luck reached its limit.

When the shadow of death came right up to their noses, what appeared before them was…

“Clara, wait a minute!”

“Why? Now’s our chance! We have to ambush that monster while it’s fighting the magical beasts…!”

Clara shouted desperately, but Lea stopped her.

“Maybe… maybe it’s trying to help us. Let’s watch a little longer.”

“B, but…! How do we know what that unidentified being, who looks so terrifying, will do to us after the fight with the magical beasts is over!”

An unidentified being.

To Clara, filled with fear and distrust, it was just an unidentified being with a terrifying appearance, but Lea was different.

Perhaps, only she in this ‘Farm’ could recognize the true identity of that red figure.

Having searched for and clipped out newspaper articles with her picture for years.

Having observed her for months after entering the academy…

She knew her body shape, even the subtle silhouette, in great detail and accurately.

Height, body proportions, even the size and shape of her chest, faintly visible beyond the torn uniform.

All of that pointed to only one person.

Yeon Bennet.

‘Why…?’

Lea was confused.

Why was that villainess, who had betrayed them and kidnapped Camilla, risking her life to save them?

Perhaps it would be wise to attack her right now, as Clara said.

But…

Crack-!

A terrible sound of a magical beast’s claws digging deep into her shoulder.

Yeon’s expression contorted in pain.

Nevertheless, instead of screaming, she desperately resisted and stood up again.

I don’t know.

What is the truth now, what should I believe?

Lea could only stare blankly at that small figure, covered in blood and dust, staggering but stubbornly fighting.