No, no, no, don't kill me!　Please don't kill me!

　The boy slumped to the ground.
　The boy slumps to the ground, shaking, looking up at me.

"Then tell me where he is. And...

　I pointed at Ulin.

And tell me how to break the spell he's under.
"Subject 372, ......?

　murmured the boy.

"It seems he's under a 'dark scent' spell. Is there any way to break it?

　I decided to ask first.

I don't know. I don't ...... know.

　The boy trembled and shook his head from side to side.

"You're not going to tell me?

　I sighed as a mild threat.

I really don't know!　Please believe me!　Please don't kill me, please!

　The boy pleaded with tears in his eyes.
　Apparently, he really doesn't know.

It's just that Valerie keeps all the results of her research on ...... spellcraft, so you can look at that or ......
Where is the recording orb?

　Normally, the results of magical research are stored in orbs that can record high-density information.
　Perhaps Valerie has done the same.

"......!

　The boy's face turned pale.

　The results of magical research are the top secret of wizards.
　You can't just tell her where it is.
　There was no way she could tell him where she kept it.

"Tell me.

　I took a half step forward.
　Just a little closer and this thing will be gone.

"Yes, .......

　The boy gulped and nodded.

"The bottom level of the lab. It is located in the second room towards the back, down the central staircase, in what we call the 'wise man's compartment'.

　Then we'll have to go there to find a way to break Ulin's spell.

Okay, back to the original question.

　I cocked my chin.

Tell me where he is.
"Master Valerie is in the middle of a ritual spell ...... researching a new formula .......

　And boy.

"Still working on that nasty spell that requires sacrifice?
"Yes, yes, the hearts of seven virgins and the genitals of ten virgins in the neighborhood as offerings .......

　...... d*mn, that was information I didn't need to hear.

Where is the ritual magic being performed?
The lowest level of the basement ......, two rooms beyond the wise men's compartment I mentioned earlier ......, which is dedicated to rituals .......
Okay.

　That's all I need to know to find you.

Then die.

　I took a step forward.

　Eleven meters from him.
　One meter from the target.

"What, we had a deal...

　The boy looked shocked.
　I looked at him coldly.

You've taken the lives of many test subjects, haven't you?　Did you think you could get away with it now?

　No room for pity.
　No reason to forgive.

They're just a bunch of ordinary villagers, you know.　We're one in tens or hundreds of thousands of magical geniuses, the chosen ones!

　Shouted the boy.

Please don't kill me!　I'm a special person!　I'm special! I can't just die here!

　He's so self-centered.

　You're just like your master, right down to the bone.

　I took another step forward.

"Oh, my God, I don't want to die!　I don't want to die. ...... ohhhhh ......

　With a final scream, the boy collapsed with a spray of blood, and then disappeared.



"It's gone. ...... Valerie's disciples, who were so terrifying, are gone. ......

　Ulin murmured with a stunned look on his face.

"It doesn't matter who comes out.

　I told Yurin.

"We'll just wipe them all out.

　We went further.

　We went down the underground stairs and eventually reached the bottom.


　There were a number of traps along the way, but I kicked them all away with my [Fixed Damage] and Shea's [Cutting] and [Acceleration].

　Then, several wizards appeared from ahead.

"You can't go any further from here, intruder!
"You know this is Master Valerie's laboratory!
I will kill you for the sake of my beloved Valerie!

　Well, it looks like they're Valerie's mistresses, too.
　I'm not sure what to make of that.

　...... Valerie's taste is all over the place.

　But he's not the kind of guy who would take a pupil just for his own taste.
　Probably all of them are on the same level as the two men mentioned above.

　Even if I can't harm myself, Shea and Yurin are in danger if they go out of the range of the [Fixed Damage] skill.

"Stay close, both of you.

　I instructed them again.

I'm one of Valerie's disciples, Micah. Oh, who are you, ......?

　The most beautiful boy in the back of the line asked.
　With her pale pink hair cut to her shoulders, she could be mistaken for a pretty girl.

At least you're not a friend of Valerie's.

　I sniffed at my apprentice.

I'm here on business with your master.

　I don't say my name back, I just tell him what I want.

I'm here for your master," I said. "...... By the looks of it, it doesn't look like a peaceful errand.
I've already wiped out two of your people. I've already wiped out two of your men. It can't be peaceful.

　I can feel the hostility and hatred simmering in my heart as I say this.

　I don't have anything personal against Micah.
　I don't have any personal grudge against Micah. Well, I don't see any reason to keep him alive, since he's probably doing the same atrocious experiments as the two apprentices.

Oh, he's a wonderful wizard. He's developed a lot of formulas and will surely contribute greatly to the advancement of the world's magical civilization!
Through repeated human experimentation?
Well, that's a noble sacrifice for the ...... world.
That's self-serving.
More people will be saved. It's a necessary pain for the world!

　Says Micah.

I respect that man from the bottom of my heart!　I believe in him, and I will follow him to the end!　And one day, I will be his successor...

　It was like blind faith.

"It's because you're Valerie's lover. Not respect, but love?　Or lust?　Or is it calculation?
"......!　Oh, you're the one...

　I'm not sure what to say.
　I'm not sure if it's the painful part or the part I don't want to be touched.

"Enough!　You are an evil intruder who has come to harm Master Valerie!　I can see that now!
"Hmm, I'd better get this over with.
Be careful. He has a strange magic that erases magic.

　The disciples held up their wands in alarm.

...... I see, you were watching the battle on a magic video feed or something.

　Well, it doesn't matter if they saw it or not.
　I'm just going to make it all go away.

　The attack, these guys... all of them.



　The battle was quick and easy.

　Swords of fire, spears of lightning, arrows of ice, axes of wind...
　The moment they get within 10 meters of me, they disappear.

　It doesn't matter what attribute they have or how powerful they are.
　I continued to move forward with ease in the face of the attacking magic groups that kept coming at me.
　Shea and Yurin lined up on either side of me.

　The pupils who had entered the range of the spells were disappearing just like the spells they had unleashed.
　One by one, one by one: .......

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

　The last one, Micah, screamed and ran away.

"Shall we follow them, Master Chrom?

　I'm not sure what to do.
　Her [acceleration] should be able to catch up.

"No, let her go.

　I'm not going after it.
　There's something I need to take care of first.

　I want revenge on Val, of course, but I also want to find out how to break Ulin's spell.

　We went straight.
　From the central staircase, as the first apprentice taught us, go to the second room towards the back.

The Sage's Compartment.
　This is where Valerie keeps all of her magical research.

　The door was tightly closed.

"Shea.


"Yes, Master Chrom.

　Shea's sword glowed black, slicing through the layers of magical protection.

"Open.

　We stepped into the room...