Chapter 522

Episode 522. The Beginning of the War (1)

“Two weeks left… no, is it one week?”

Time at the academy flowed swiftly. Several weeks had already passed, and only one remained before the festival. In seven days, the nobles would gather at the academy, and the Religion of War would carry out its ritual.

—Fuu.

Alon Palatio let out a sigh and contemplated the academy landscape right after the last school assembly ended. It was an image similar to what he always saw: students moving to fulfill their duties or to have fun after classes. Alon observed the commercial district that could be seen in the distance, crossing the school buildings, where preparations for the festival were already in full swing.

‘… The information obtained… is it about three points?’.

The information that Alon’s group had collected during their academic life in recent weeks was as follows: one, that Archduke Lolas’s daughter was the president of the Guardian’s Social Circle; and two, that said daughter, Lolas Tiya, turned out to be suspicious in several aspects.

Of course, her suspicion did not manifest externally. When comparing her past records with current ones, no anomaly was found. From her grades and school life to her social relationships, Tiya had not changed at all compared to before.

Even so, Alon’s group suspected her due to the information that Evan and Deus brought a few weeks ago.

‘… Did they say they were planning something inside the club room?’.

Unlike the old school building where most clubs were concentrated, the Guardian’s Social Circle room was located in the building at the far right of the commercial area. There, they witnessed the entry of specific students who did not belong to the social circle. Furthermore, through repeated patrols, they confirmed that recently certain students entered and exited from there frequently.

‘… The students who enter and exit repeatedly are five. Surprisingly, apart from those five, the members of the operating committee who use the room are extremely few, barely two’.

In short, when compiling the data, there was a high probability that there was something hidden inside the Guardian’s Social Circle room. However, after reaching that point, Alon’s group limited themselves to maintaining surveillance without acting further. Their goal was not simply to annihilate the apostles, but to ruin the ritual to prevent the Apostle of Wrath of War from descending.

Furthermore, if they approached the club room further and they noticed something, it would be problematic. If because of that they decided not to perform the ritual, there would have been no point in infiltrating this academy. Therefore, Alon remembered that his companions moved with the premise of watching the room and simultaneously searching for other suspicious points, while he himself set out.

Upon finishing classes, Alon did not head toward the dormitories, but toward the building where the professors’ offices were located, a place he had already visited twice before.

—Welcome.

—Excuse me.

There he met Yutia Bloodia.

Wuuu—

A familiar resonance sound was heard as soon as Alon entered. Realizing that an isolation spell had been activated, Alon sighed slightly and Yutia Bloodia spoke immediately:

—Good job, Master.

—It seems you are working harder than I am.

—Oh, really?

—For starters, isn’t it difficult to teach magic?

Yutia Bloodia is a Cardinal of Rosario. Therefore, she uses holy power.

… Well, actually, at this point Alon was already aware that holy power and mana were not that different, but that was only from his perspective. Technically, for others there was a difference in handling both, which is why he mentioned it.

—No, it’s fine. My level is sufficient to teach this —Yutia Bloodia replied, smiling.

—You can teach?

—Yes.

—Had you learned magic before?

The results of the academy students were not high. Most were between the first and second Circle. Currently, the boy called a “great genius” in the academy was barely about to cross from the third to the fourth Circle. However, to teach magic, it was fundamental to memorize all the basic formulas, formulas that would require months of study.

Faced with Alon’s astonished question, Yutia replied slowly:

—Right? I learned it a long time ago.

—… A long time ago?

—Yes. To be able to teach magic to a precious person.

At Yutia Bloodia’s words, Alon made a peculiar expression.

‘A precious person…?’.

Who would that person be?

‘… Rine?’.

While Alon thought about it, Yutia Bloodia, who observed him with curiosity, smiled and continued:

—How about we leave now, Master? We must also patrol.

Alon nodded. His visit to Yutia today was precisely to conduct the patrol. Upon leaving, the place they had to inspect was the commercial area, which was preparing for the festival. In reality, it seemed impossible that they could plot something in the middle of such a crowded place, and they already had a strong candidate as the ritual site, but they could not afford to neglect surveillance. They took into account the possibility that the enemy had noticed something and had prepared a trap.

—Master? What are you thinking about?

Turning his head at the voice while they walked through the commercial area, he saw Yutia Bloodia smiling at his side. At the same time, he felt the isolation spell surrounding them. She kept it small and precise so that no one else in the middle of the crowd could interfere. It was a mana handling too refined for someone who had only practiced magic a couple of times.

—… It seems you don’t just teach magic, but you have used it for a long time.

—Mmm… could you say that? —she replied, smiling.

Alon looked forward again. The commercial area was still full of people.

—By the way, it’s the first time we’ve walked like this, just the two of us, isn’t it?

—True.

Three weeks had already passed since the group began the patrols. However, Alon had not patrolled with Yutia in all that time. Because she was a professor and he was a student, it would look strange if they were seen walking together frequently. That’s why Yutia, unlike the others, limited her patrol frequency to once a week, and that’s why they could move together now for the first time.

And Alon was waiting for this moment.

“Master”.

“The real answer to your previous question… I will give it to you the next time we are alone”.

“It’s just that… I don’t want to be a liar to the Master”.

Alon had not forgotten Yutia Bloodia’s words.

—By the way, I’ve heard that lately girls approach you a lot, Master —Yutia Bloodia said, interrupting his thoughts.

—… Approach me?

—Yes, especially Rine.

At the words of Yutia, who maintained her smile, Alon looked away involuntarily. Certainly, just as she said, lately Penia and Rine moved in a peculiar way. And Rine, especially.

“Mmm… is it not ready yet? Or would you prefer me to create the opportunity?”.

He remembered the image of Rine, who did not act like that in a group but who, alone, timidly offered her cheek to Alon with red ears and a small laugh. Suddenly, Yutia’s finger gently poked the back of Alon’s hand.

—Rine… likes you, doesn’t she?

Even though she was still smiling, Alon felt that something was not entirely pleasing in her attitude and replied:

—… It’s not like that.

“Honestly I was thinking about Rine, why did I say that?”, he reproached himself internally. Alon noticed that they had passed in front of a shop he liked and were reaching the clock tower.

—Shall we go up?

—Here?

—Yes.

They had to climb the clock tower. Although the group had already checked it in turns several times, they had not found anything to indicate it was the ritual site. However…

—…

Alon, who had a pending conversation he wanted to have in private, nodded and headed to the clock tower with Yutia. After a while, when they reached the top…

Alon could contemplate the academy sky from the upper part of the tower, which strangely had no roof but was open to the firmament. The academy was an immense landscape. How much time would have passed while watching?

—Master —Yutia Bloodia suddenly broke the silence.

—Tell me.

—You remember it, right?

—… The answer to the question?

—As I expected, you remember.

Yutia spoke with her back to the sunset-tinged horizon.

—Are you planning to give me the answer?

—Mmm… you remember it, right? I told you, Master. I don’t want to be a liar to you.

Yutia looked fixedly at Alon and continued:

—You probably already suspect it, but it’s not that The Wanderer told me.

Hearing that, Alon nodded. Her words confirmed what he already suspected about the origin of Yutia’s information.

—… Are they memories from the first round? —Alon asked, as if testing the waters but with a strange certainty.

Yutia was not surprised. On the contrary, she acted as if she already knew Alon would say that.

—That’s right —she nodded—. Although, to be exact, I found out in a totally different situation from the current one.

It was an acceptance on Yutia’s part. Neither exaggerated nor reluctant, simply calm. Alon remained silent. He had so many things to ask. So many doubts gnawing at him.

However, Alon could not open his mouth easily. The reason was that in Yutia Bloodia, who always showed him a smiling face, a shadow of sadness had been projected. It was only an instant, but it was enough time for Alon to detect her emotion.

“… What on earth could have happened?”, the thought circled Alon’s head. He wanted to ask, but at the same time, he didn’t. Alon didn’t want to see that expression she showed in her eyes for a second again. Like a strange obsession, that thought spun in his mind.

In that brief lapse, Yutia regained her composure and returned to her usual smile.

—As I thought, the Master is very kind.

Yutia’s smile was seen against the backdrop of the sunset. In her red eyes, there was no longer a trace of sadness; only her characteristic laughing gaze.

—Kind?

—… You saw me and didn’t dare to ask lightly, right? Probably because of that…

Yutia spoke as if evoking an old memory:

—… that’s why we were lovers, don’t you think?

She said it with total serenity.