Chapter 85

EP.85 Isaac Contention (3) (Revised Episode)

Before Lucie summoned the Thunder Deity Corps, in Atlar Hall.

Eva Halilov, the bespectacled girl sitting in a chair, could not understand what was happening in Atlar Hall.

People's perceptions had changed. Strange rumors about Isaac had spread widely.

He's a playboy? He just hits on any woman? That's ridiculous.

‘He fought against demons, demons!’

Why doesn't anyone know?

She couldn't understand. After all, it was said that wizards of an incredibly high level tended to casually ignore common sense. Some even said that trying to understand them was like trying to hold the sea in your hand.

She looked back and forth at the girls Isaac was said to have hit on. Kaya Astraen... she couldn't be seen anywhere.

The pink-haired, short-haired girl, Keridna Whiteclark, seemed completely unaware, saying, “Mr. Isaac came to me? ...Why don't I know? Can you show me what you saw?”

She didn't seem to know anything, and Eva couldn't understand why she was so anxious.

And Rizetta Lionheart, with her orange ponytail, was still greedily tearing into her meat. She also seemed completely unaware. Eva wondered how many servings she had eaten.

Her whole body was trembling. Isaac, that person... had he been protecting people in this way?

She had meddled with someone she shouldn't have. Realizing this, Eva clutched her head, ignoring the gazes of those around her. She felt like she was going to die.

[Why are you like that?]

“……!!”

Suddenly, a familiar lady's voice echoed in Eva's ears.

She stiffened as if she had heard something she shouldn't have, recognizing the voice of the white cat with a pink ribbon on its tail, Ella, the familiar of Dorothy Hartnova. A voice she could never forget.

[It's been a while, friend?]

“A, a...”

[Do you remember what I told you before? Keep what you know a secret.]

“I’m, I’m sorry...!”

Eva instinctively tried to get up and run, but Dorothy's mana, which Ella had implanted, rushed to her.

Kuuu─.

“Gah!”

[Can you stay still for a moment?]

The force pressed down on Eva's thighs, making her unable to move.

Eva looked at the white cat standing beside her with a frightened face.

[It seems something strange happened here? Everyone is saying different things. But you... seem fine.]

“P-please, let me go...”

The pressure on her thighs was intense. She felt like she was holding up an incredibly heavy weight with just her legs.

Eva swallowed her tears and quietly pleaded with Ella.

[Don't worry. I don't intend to hurt you. But, Dorothy has something she's curious about.]

“I can't say anything...”

[Hmm?]

Ella had come here at Dorothy's command to check if any information about Isaac had been sold.

After listening to the students' stories, Ella deduced that Isaac had been in Atlar Hall.

She approached Eva, the only one who seemed fine.

While the other students spoke as if their memories had been fabricated, Eva sat quietly in her chair, clearly frightened.

In this situation, Eva, who was feeling fear, seemed the most normal.

From what she could infer, it seemed that a mysterious phenomenon had occurred in Atlar Hall, and Isaac had been involved.

And from the fact that Isaac had silenced Eva, it seemed he wanted to keep whatever had happened from surfacing.

[On the contrary... Isaac knew his information would be sold and used it to his advantage, didn't he?]

Ella muttered to herself, so quietly that even Eva couldn't hear.

It was an unbelievable story, but Dorothy had said that the gentle and weak-looking Isaac was much stronger than her.

Dorothy, who could see through the essence of things with the power of [Heaven and Earth], had eyes that never lied.

In other words, it wasn't strange for a man who had reached a higher realm than Dorothy to play with the minds of ordinary people.

The force pressing down on Eva's legs subsided.

Eva felt a sense of relief, her eyes tearing up, but as soon as she heard Ella's voice again, she instinctively held her breath.

[I don't intend to interfere with Isaac, so I'll let it go.]

“A...”

[But, friend, don't overdo it, okay?]

Ella disappeared, turning into a mana form.

For a while, Eva couldn't control her trembling body.

* * *

‘Let’s sort out the situation.’

It was a terribly chaotic night.

If I were to ride in an open-top fighter, it might feel like this. I enjoyed the intense wind resistance massaging my skin while lost in thought.

Above the Academy. Currently, I was being held by Kayah, who was using wind magic to fly through the air at high speed.

Behind us, the Thunder Deity Corps—Galia and Lucie—were chasing us.

Kayah's memory had been altered when Maloq was disposed of. In her memory, I must have made some embarrassing expression of affection.

That's why she had taken me from Lucie to spend some cozy time with me.

‘I managed to avoid being restrained, at least.’

If Kayah hadn't been there, I would still be wearing Lucie's restraints on my wrists.

Even so, it wouldn't have been a big problem. After a bit of playtime with Lucie, the restraints would have been removed. I didn't take her restraints too seriously.

Of course, that doesn't mean restraints are okay.

After the Elt Island incident, I had told Lucie that ‘restraining someone's physical freedom is wrong’ in a very ethical manner. I had explained it kindly, as a teacher would to a student, but she seemed to have ignored my words completely.

‘Maybe I need to show her through action.’

I would have to teach Lucie the meaning of empathy soon. Since actions speak louder than words, if I were to restrain her, she might understand how I feel about being restrained.

‘...That might be a bit too much.’

Well, not necessarily to that extent.

Lucie hasn't reached the extreme stage of the cage ending, and in *The Magic Knight of Merchen*, she doesn't capture the player after the ending. There's still room for education.

‘Anyway.’

Returning to the current situation.

If I were to delve deeply into the interests at stake, it wasn't that serious.

Both Kayah and Lucie were acting excessively based on their emotions.

So, I needed to first get out of this dire situation and find a chance to talk things through with them.

‘First, I need to clear up Kayah’s misunderstanding.’

We reached the tall clock tower. Various buildings were scattered around it.

Just as we passed the clock tower, when we were momentarily out of the Thunder Deity Corps' line of sight.

‘Now’s the time to fall.’

「Ice Creation (Ice Attribute, ★1)」

I had been timing it and extended my free hand downward, forming a handle-shaped ice and gripping it tightly.

Then, I added more ice to the handle, creating a heavy ice block in one go.

This should be enough.

“Kyaa!”

Kayah's scream. Due to the weight of the heavy ice block I was holding, we started to plummet.

Maintaining flight with wind magic requires a high degree of magical control.

So, if a heavy weight is suddenly attached while flying, the magical control would inevitably be thrown off.

Naturally, Kayah, who had been controlling the wind to maintain our flight, couldn't help but lose control.

Then, I dispelled the ice block and extended my arm upward, releasing a fierce blue cold flame.

「Frost Flame (Ice Attribute, ★4)」

Whoosh───!!

“Isaac, you...?!”

[Frost Flame] can also be used like a booster. I had used this method several times before.

Thus, we fell toward the ground at a terrifying speed.

Kayah's panic was cute. I ended up taking revenge on her unintentionally.

Indeed, being the one pulling the strings feels much better than being pulled around.

“……!”

When we suddenly disappeared, the Thunder Deity Corps and Lucie were taken aback. The Thunder Deity Corps stopped in mid-air, creating a strong wind with their vigorous flapping.

They would likely see us falling vertically in just 2 to 3 seconds.

Buildings surrounded the clock tower. The Thunder Deity Corps, with their large bodies, wouldn't be able to squeeze in, and they wouldn't choose the extreme option of destroying the buildings.

While Lucie was putting the Thunder Deity Corps away and chasing us, I planned to take Kayah and run into the clock tower.

“Kayah, I'll leave the landing to you!”

“Ah, yes!”

「Wind Creation (Wind Attribute, ★1)」

Whoosh──!

We reached the ground. I immediately extinguished the [Frost Flame] and let Kayah's wind slow our descent, landing safely on the ground.

“I was so scared...”

“Never mind, follow me!”

“Huh?! Ah!”

Lucie, still on the Thunder Deity Corps, was falling vertically.

After confirming that she was chasing us, I grabbed Kayah's wrist and ran into the clock tower.

What I wanted was time to talk with Kayah. I wanted to clear up her misunderstanding and then talk with Lucie.

‘Ah.’

I had forgotten in my haste. I'm quite strong and run fast. Holding Kayah's wrist tightly and running away could potentially hurt her.

I loosened my grip slightly and turned my head back to look at Kayah, who was being dragged along by me.

“Kayah, sorry! Are you okay?!”

“I’m not okay, but I’m happy!”

“Huh?!”

[ Kaya Astraen ]

Psychology: [I’m very excited to be forcibly dragged away by you.]

She’s going to faint.