Near the Elementalist Department's building...

"Astina..."

A voice gritted out, scanning the area.

It was Harpel Persia.

Beside him, stood Eric, concern etched on his face.

"No turning back now."

Harpel's fist clenched.

"Losing to her... what's left for me?"

His goal? Assassinate Astina.

Yet, killing Astina without a trace was far from easy.

He had no choice.

If he could kill Astina unnoticed, he'd have his revenge and restore his status as the successor.

This thought consumed him.

His plan was reckless, his loathing for Astina had fogged his sight, blinding him to anything else.

"Haaah..."

A sigh escaped Eric.

Harpel was once an intelligent and well-mannered friend.

Now...

He'd lost his rationality and was incapable of making sound judgments.

Despite numerous attempts to discourage him, Harpel was deaf to his words.

Still, Eric couldn't desert his friend.

This man was not only his friend but also his chosen lord.

Since he had made this choice, Eric planned to stick with Harpel until the bitter end.

Even if it led to their ruin.

Fortunately, there were no problems so far.

They'd thought up ways to move without drawing attention, but thankfully, Ian Astria showed himself.

It became simple to get to this point.

"Eric, take me to the spot you mentioned."

"...Alright."

As an academy alumnus, Eric was familiar with the nearby amenities.

Close to the Elementalist Department building, there was an indoor training field.

The facilities were decrepit, attracting few visitors.

This training field, more like a hall, had limited windows and poor air circulation. Its location at the academy's far end made it less accessible.

However, these elements were perfect for their plan.

If they lured Astina here and killed her, it would be some time before anyone found her.

One would have to go through the Elementalist Department building first.

And being situated at the academy's edge, they could easily make it outside.

"Huh?"

As they neared the location, they spotted a boy focused on sword practice.

Sweat dripped from his brow as he swung his sword.

Seeing someone train amid the ongoing event brought a pang of nostalgia.

It reminded him of his own training sessions with Harpel at the academy.

"First things first..."

Although he sympathized with the boy, their mission was the priority.

"Hey, student."

"Yes...?"

The boy was Evan.

Unable to find a proper training site, he had picked this isolated location.

"I need to use this space. Could you clear off?"

Eric's request made Evan cock his head in puzzlement.

"I thought this area wouldn't be used during the event..."

"Ah, the academy thought it would difficult to keep everything in the main building, so they reassigned a part of it here."

"Oh... I understand."

Without any doubts, Evan gathered his sword and items.

"Alright. Good luck with your task."

"Right, thank you."

Eric watched Evan depart and placed his bag down.

He pulled out the scrolls he had prepared, bracing himself for Astina, a formidable opponent.

Central Auditorium.

The moment Ian exited, I turned to Astina and said,

"Show me your hand."

"What are you talking about?"

I seized Astina's hand and examined it from all angles.

There had certainly been a peculiar glow earlier...

"What... What are you doing?"

As I inspected Astina's hand, she regarded me with a baffled look.

"Rudy!!"

Luna flailed her arms wildly.

"That's not allowed!"

Luna's reaction brought a blush to my cheeks.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay."

Letting go of her hand, Astina withdrew hers and cleared her throat.

"Um... Are you feeling alright? Any issues with your body? Since the handshake..."

"Handshake?"

Astina appeared puzzled as she stared at me.

She examined her own hand with keen interest.

"I don't notice anything odd."

"Um..."

What did he do?

It didn't seem like a spell that would be helpful to us.

Given he used a transmission spell to keep it concealed.

"Anyways, we should inspect the Elementalist Department building."

"In that case, I'll investigate the building."

"You will?"

"You seem tired, Astina, and it doesn't look like there's anyone else to ask."

There was no one else in sight we could ask.

However, this was merely an excuse.

I needed to confirm if the storyline was unfolding as expected.

In the original game, it was an event no one else could interfere with, so I thought everything would be okay.

But I had miscalculated.

Given things were already straying from the game, I shouldn't have expected a straightforward trajectory.

"Wouldn't it be wiser to consult the Student Council?"

"The Student Council is swamped, so I'll just go and check. If there's trouble, I'll call for assistance."

As I shared my thoughts, Astina pondered briefly before nodding.

"No, I'll accompany you."

"...Excuse me?"

I was surprised.

"Who can tell what might happen, and if something does, we'd be better equipped to handle it swiftly, right?"

"Well... I guess so."

"Then, we should go together."

Astina put her belongings aside and took the initiative.

Her ambiguous expression concerned me, but I couldn't read her thoughts.

Then Luna, who was behind me, tugged at my arm.

"Um... Rudy...!"

Turning to Luna, I saw a frown on her face.

"I thought we were going to explore together."

"Ah... right..."

"You're always so focused on work! You need to take a break sometimes!"

Luna placed her hands on her waist and lectured me.

Feeling guilty, I shot Luna an apologetic glance, and she replied with a gentle smile.

"I'll overlook it this time as you're handling important business. I'll help too, so let's wrap this up quickly and have some fun."

"Alright, thanks for your concern."

"No worries!"

A faint smile tugged at my lips.

Seeing Luna worry about me in this way...

I should resolve this quickly and make some time for relaxation.

It wouldn't take much time.

I only needed to investigate the perimeter of the buildings and the training field.

My objective was to check whether Evan was at the training field.

"Let's get going, then."

We moved towards the Elementalist Department building.

The surroundings appeared normal.

There was no reason for event participants to venture into this area.

"...Something doesn't feel right?"

Astina knitted her brow, scanning the vicinity.

Luna and I didn't detect anything out of place, so we glanced at Astina.

"What's the matter?"

I asked, and Astina surveyed the area before responding.

"Someone activated a scroll nearby. I sensed the presence of two... I believe."

"A scroll?"

There was no sensible reason for a scroll to be deployed here.

Neither Serina nor Evan used scrolls for battle.

They favored trusting their own senses rather than gaining a tactical advantage with scrolls.

A vague feeling of unease started to trickle in.

"Do you know where it was triggered?"

"I can't provide that detail. I merely detected a faint mana fluctuation."

Mana fluctuation...

"Should we make our way to the training ground then? It seems we haven't checked that location yet."

We had performed a cursory search of the area, but we had yet to explore the training ground.

Being located in a remote area, it was rarely visited by students from the magic department.

"Shall we head there?"

We moved towards the training ground.

my heart plummeted at the sight that greeted us.

Only two men were inside.

Evan... was conspicuously absent.

When the two men noticed us, they gave off ominous chuckles.

One of them advanced, moving closer to us.

"Hehe... We didn't expect you to wander here alone."

"Why are you here?"

Astina leveled them with a penetrating glare.

"Rudy, Luna, go fetch the others."

As Astina issued her command, the second man ripped the scroll he held in his hand.

Instantly, a transparent barrier materialized, obstructing the entrance.

"Once you're in, there's no escape."

Astina heaved a deep sigh and fixed her gaze on the man before her.

"Do you really believe this will change anything?"

"Whether it does or not is yet to be determined."

The two stood in a standoff, an air of hostility pervading the space.

Amidst this tense situation, my mind was preoccupied with another worry.

Where had Evan vanished to?

"Astina, you could never understand. You've been spoon-fed since your birth."

Why were these men here?

Did Evan run into Serina?

"I loathe you, Astina. Despite the fact we share the same blood..."

"Pardon me..."

I chimed in, interrupting the man's rant.

I didn't have the luxury to listen to the petty stories of an extra at this moment.

"Was anyone training here?"

At my question, the man who had been spouting nonsense sneered.

"Heh... You're fearless, aren't you?"

"No... Was anyone training here?"

I need an answer urgently.

There would be problems if Evan didn't stop Serina.

Even with someone safeguarding Priscilla, I doubt they could hold her off for long.

Evan had managed to win against Serina but most of the guards were currently stationed at the main building, leaving no one in the Elementalist Department building competent enough to handle her.

The professors would also be busy meeting graduates at the main building.

However, if Serina secures Priscilla and forms a contract... It'll be a disaster.

"It's impolite to interrupt."

The other man frowned, visibly annoyed.

His attitude made me clench my teeth.

"Haa..."

And I gathered mana in my hand.

This wasn't the moment to be bothered by these idiots.

If they wouldn't respond...

"Then shut up and come at me."

I spat out at them and unleashed my magic.

***

3/4 Enjoy the chappy!