Chapter 30
The Guardian’s Power
Dark chains crept across the ground, and countless thorns thrust upwards. I desperately threw up a barrier of wind, but it felt like it would be crushed by the overwhelming magical force.
“Kuh…!”
Sweat dripped from my forehead.
Even though the power of my bloodline was reacting, I still couldn’t control it.
“Lydia, get back!”
At Leon’s shout, his sword flashed, but it was deflected by a whip of darkness.
“It seems you still cannot fully wield your power.”
The masked man’s voice was cold and brimming with confidence.
Dark magic stretched forth, seeking to ensnare my body.
(I’m done for…!)
In that instant, the light sound of a folding fan snapping shut rang out.
“Trying to lay a hand on the young mistress? You’re a hundred years too early. ♡”
The Professor stepped forward.
Her usual gentle demeanor had vanished, replaced by a sharp light in her crimson eyes.
The air trembled, and the magical energy covering the ground was instantly overwritten.
“….! This power…!”
The masked man’s voice held a faint tremor.
The next moment, a light erupting from her fan sliced through the darkness and shattered the chains.
A roar shook the night, forcing the shadows back a step.
I stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.
The magical power overflowing from the Professor carried the same resonance as my own bloodline.
(Is the Professor also… someone connected to the royal bloodline…?
No, that’s not it… This is a power to protect…!)
“Lydia.”
The Professor glanced back, her profile more serious than I had ever seen before.
“The reason I am here… I will tell you someday.
So for now, just focus on surviving.”
Her words struck deep into my chest, and I caught my breath.
The masked man cloaked himself in shadow, showing signs of retreat.
“…I see. The bloodline of the Guardians… still remains.
But I will take that power for myself, eventually.”
Having declared this, he vanished.
In the courtyard that remained, only the lingering echo of the wind and my trembling breath could be heard.
(The Professor… is of the Guardian’s bloodline…
If that’s true, then why has she been so… to me…?)
Questions swirled in my chest, along with emotions I couldn’t put into words.
That truth felt heavier upon me than any scar from the battle.
