Chapter 35
The total damage was no more than a few seconds of lost vision, but the real problem was the surge of magic released by the delayed spell.
Though the light and sound had quickly subsided, they could still provoke the summoned beast—especially with the addition of magical energy.
With a chilling thought, Lanjé immediately restored her spear, and several others, including Ribe, quickly reloaded their rifles.
A magical beast swimming through the sky began to glide smoothly toward the forest.
“Are they trying to use us as bait?”
Gripping her rifle tightly, Erna stared in the direction where the supervisor had vanished.
“Probably. Not sure how effective it’ll be, though.”
Lanjé responded with uncertainty. It was an incomprehensible decision to deliberately provoke a beast that hadn’t yet approached and throw the entire group in as bait.
Either way, escape was impossible within the barrier. If things didn’t go as planned, they’d end up with both the magical beast and over ten humans as enemies.
The supervisor’s intent soon became clear.
A surge of magical energy, comparable to the earlier spell, poured out from the other side of the forest. Lines drawn across the sky shimmered strangely.
“…Don’t tell me, he’s trying to dismantle the barrier on his own?”
That would explain his bizarre behavior. With one beast already subdued after devouring someone, maybe he planned to sacrifice the rest to buy time. It wasn’t an entirely ridiculous plan.
Despite his odd judgment, the supervisor’s reverse calculation speed was fairly fast. Of course, being alone, it would take him more than a day.
However, the magical beast made a different decision than the supervisor expected.
The creature revealed a square organ hidden within its tentacles and came to a halt just in front of the forest.
“That… could that be an eye?”
Ribe murmured, aiming her rifle.
Lanjé silently agreed with her guess. It was instinct, but she was certain—it was staring.
The magical beast then let out a rustling sound like an insect fluttering its wings and passed them by. It moved a little faster now.
“…Wasn’t that the direction the supervisor went?”
Everyone’s expressions turned complicated at Lanjé’s words—shock, relief that they wouldn’t have to fight right away, anxiety over whether the beast would return, and curiosity about the supervisor’s fate… The last was answered almost immediately.
“Aaaaaagh!”
A scream far louder than the one from when the gunman was eaten echoed through the air.
No one showed sympathy. It was his own fault for pushing others into a trap only to get caught himself.
After swallowing the supervisor whole, the beast withdrew to its original position, and Lanjé let out a small sigh.
“Anyway, it definitely reacts to magic and visual/auditory stimuli. Fascinatingly, it even considers numbers.”
Though it looked like a mix between a jellyfish and a squid, the flying beast made rational choices when selecting prey. It seemed to count heads, realizing only one was missing and then flying off.
‘Is it smarter than the supervisor?’
There was no room for sympathy when it came to someone like him—only sarcasm remained.
Returning to the original topic, Lanjé spoke in a more cheerful voice than usual.
“That trait might not be bad for us.”
It was an attempt to lift the frozen mood, but Ribe flared up.
“Are you being serious?”
Unfazed, Lanjé continued her explanation.
“It could be to our advantage in an operation. If we can attract its attention, we can manipulate it, right? It’d be bad if it ignored me and went straight to you all.”
“How long you can hold out is the real question… Right now, it’s more about who gets eaten first, or second.”
Ribe muttered pessimistically. Lanjé lightly patted her shoulder.
“You can’t be like this already. Half of everything in life is decided by attitude. Besides, I’m a genius and plan to make a heroic stand, so you can relax.”
Everyone looked awkward, unsure how to respond to her bizarre confidence.
Whether it was a joke or her actual philosophy, Lanjé didn’t lose her smile.
She even offered another suggestion.
“If you can’t trust me, try having a little hopeful imagination.”
“The situation is too dire for that.”
Heine calmly pointed out.
“I doubt daydreaming will change anything.”
Lanjé responded smoothly once more.
“In a situation this crazy, someone outside must notice something’s wrong. No matter how sneaky the Academy is, they can’t cover it up completely. So there’s a chance someone capable might step in to help us.”
A knife scraped against a plate, making an unpleasant screech. The emperor exaggeratedly frowned.
“Your table manners have worsened while I wasn’t looking.”
The seat was already uncomfortable, and though it was he who brought the troubling news, the emperor scolded his nephew.
But Lenart didn’t listen to meaningless words. Or more accurately, he didn’t have the mental space to.
“Is it true?”
Despite knowing how much the emperor hated questions, Lenart couldn’t stop himself.
“What you just said…”
“Yes. Something happened outside the city. Some kind of entrance exam, I hear. I don’t know the details, but it sounds serious.”
The emperor repeated himself willingly, as if he hadn’t just deliberately avoided giving a full explanation. His face was full of smug satisfaction.
It was blatantly obvious—even a fool could tell—that he had withheld information on purpose. The emperor knew that Lenart’s imagination often turned to the worst possible scenarios.
But the impact was even greater than expected—Lenart completely lost his composure.
“An accident?”
Though he was aware that succumbing to anxiety was dangerous, he couldn’t stop the spiral of thoughts.
And oddly enough, that realization brought him a moment of clarity.
“It must be about Lanjé.”
The emperor knew about the meeting between the Swan Hilt sisters and Lenart, and that they had applied to the Academy of Magic. The only exam taking place outside the city today was that one.
He wouldn’t fabricate such an incident just to get a reaction, so the accident must be real.
Lenart expanded his perspective.
Helga had invited him, and their meeting with the emperor to announce his return had naturally turned into a formal dinner.
Beyond the large windows of the banquet hall, a purple sky was visible. It was summer, so it was still bright, but not early.
“…Don’t you think it may be under control by now?”
Helga cautiously spoke.
“Hard to say. I heard about it right before dinner, so I don’t know the current status.”
Given the layout of the table, Lenart couldn’t avoid seeing both the emperor’s and Helga’s expressions clearly.
The emperor wore a sleazy smile; Helga’s eyes were filled with concern.
Yet Lenart saw an odd calmness within himself.
“Your Majesty.”
He no longer hesitated.
“I just remembered something urgent. Please forgive my rudeness for leaving early.”
He didn’t even wait for a reply. As Lenart’s anxious figure rushed away, the emperor raised his glass.
“I haven’t given you permission yet.”
“Forgive me.”
“I thought you were a cautious man, but lately I wonder if I’ve misjudged you. Is it because of those Swan Hilt girls?”
The emperor, who had previously feigned ignorance, now brought them up outright. Lenart didn’t even respond as he walked out of the banquet hall.
Despite this being his first time acting so impulsively, his mind felt clearer than when he was trying to read the room.
He had no time to care about the emperor’s reaction. All his focus was outside the palace. Even his anxiety pointed in the same direction.
“I’ll deal with the consequences later.”
He cut off his thoughts in a way he’d never done before in his life and quickened his pace.
Then, a familiar voice called from behind.
“Lenart!”
Turning around, Lenart faced a pale expression.
Helga, clearly shocked by his defiance of the emperor, couldn’t hide her panic. At that moment, Lenart’s suspicion turned into certainty.
“Don’t tell me… you’re planning to go to the exam site.”
She hurriedly caught up and blocked his path.
“Don’t be foolish. Let’s go back.”
“You knew something like this might happen?”
Helga couldn’t deny it—Lenart already knew the answer.
“…Yes.”
“Yet you still invited me today.”
“I warned Lady Swan Hilt about the exam. I did my duty. And now, I’m trying to find a way to protect you.”
Helga had realized from the start that this incident wasn’t just petty sabotage, especially after seeing the emperor trying to manipulate Chairman Baden into interfering with the exam.
It seemed that, compared to the Swan Hilt sisters, Lenart was just a minor piece—though possibly linked to more important objectives.
But that didn’t mean Lenart was free to act as he pleased.
If he’d stayed at Count Simone’s estate instead of coming to the palace, he might have heard about the accident sooner and headed directly to the scene. There’s no way the emperor wouldn’t notice that.
The emperor, being narrow-minded and suspicious, would use it as an excuse to link Lenart, his former supporters, Simone, Swan Hilt, and even Morigen together.
Helga had sent the invitation today hoping the emperor wouldn’t mention the accident in his presence—or that Lenart would restrain himself.
But everything had gone wrong.
The emperor shared the news as if it were gossip, and Lenart, visibly shaken, stormed out in front of him.
“Why are you being so reckless?”
Helga couldn’t hide her frustration.
“You used to be so patient when you were younger. Please, understand your position.”
The emperor had said something similar, albeit with a different motive.
“…And what good came of it?”
“What?”
“If hesitation and avoidance ever brought me anything good… then I wouldn’t be in this mess now. Even if I had moved slowly while watching the emperor, I’d still have gone to the exam site. So what’s the real difference in acting now?”
Helga couldn’t answer easily. She still believed the emperor’s reaction and future consequences would differ.
Instead, she pleaded with him.
“…Lenart, what responsibility do you have in this? You’ve only known those sisters for a few months.”
But Lenart naturally thought of Lanjé’s face.
Maybe he was swayed by her strangely familiar behavior from the start. He couldn’t define their bond by mere months, as Helga suggested.
Seeing this, Helga said no more.
No matter what choice Lenart made now, he would regret it. He had already defied the emperor.
“I’m going.”
He pushed past Helga and began walking.
Things are getting real