Bölüm

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The students watched with bated breath as the dust cleared, revealing the golem lying motionless on the floor. And given that everything above its neck was completely and utterly destroyed, it didn’t seem like it would be getting up anytime soon.

“Hah.” Garyl, his arm once more returned to its human form, let out a breath once he was certain the golem had stopped moving. “Looks like we did it!”

“Lord Garyl! You were so cool!” said Salina, tackling Garyl and hugging him tight, a big smile on her face. “I mean, of course you were!”

“Yeah! Yeah!” Wyne agreed, hugging Garyl tight as well. “That was awesome-awesome!”

“Hmmm,” Elinàsze muttered to herself as she approached the golem, a hand extended as she used magic to scan the figure. “Now, this is interesting. I wonder what sort of magic it is.” She cast a spell under her breath and a magic circle appeared around the fallen golem. The golem vanished, sucked into the circle. Elinàsze had effectively taken advantage of the confusion of the moment to claim the golem as materials for her own research.

Unfortunately, her actions had not gone without notice.

“E-Erm... Madame Elinàsze, is it?” One of the guards in the great hall called out to Elinàsze, stopping her before she could leave the room.

“Yes?” Elinàsze asked. “Is there something you need?”

“Well, it’s just I-I’m terribly sorry, but could I possibly impose on you to kindly return the golem’s remains to the college?”

“Hmmm,” Elinàsze said, hemming and hawing in clear dissatisfaction at the request.

“B-But,” the guard stammered, “I really do apologize, but we need to examine the remains in order to learn who was controlling the golem.”

“Hmmm,” Elinàsze repeated.

“C-Come now. Would you please be reasonable about this?”

“Hmmm” was all Elinàsze would say.

The two of them continued on in that vein for quite some time.

Meanwhile, the eyes of the room were on Garyl. Even Decona hurried to the boy’s side. “Well now, Garyl! I never would have expected a student to be the one to defeat that golem. Truly, you have my gratitude.”

“It wasn’t just me,” Garyl insisted, a cheerful smile on his face as he looked between Wyne and Salina, who were still hugging him tight, and Elinàsze, who came walking up beside them. “My friends and I all worked together to beat it!”

Suddenly, the students of the Oldwass College of Magic began an uproarious round of applause for Garyl and his friends, chattering animatedly.

“D-Did you see that wolf boy? He was incredible!”

“I told you! I told you he was handsome!”

“They were all rather incredible, to be honest.”

“I’m sorry for not clapping for you earlier!”

As the applause grew louder and louder, Loppul, Jentle, and Ysel came walking up to Garyl as well.

“Oh!” said Garyl. “And a big thanks to you three too, for helping all the Oldwass College of Magic students evacuate! We wouldn’t have been able to fight so hard without you!” The three of them grinned happily at Garyl’s words.

As the students’ adulation swelled to a veritable storm of spontaneous applause, Decona stroked his beard with a satisfied smile. “The golem was a little unexpected, but the students here seem to finally understand how skilled the students from the Houghtow College of Magic are. They certainly seem eager to laud them with praise and applause,” he said, nodding to himself. “Very good, very good.”

◇ ◇ ◇

The group left the college’s grand hall, which had been wrecked in the golem attack, to continue the welcome banquet in the assembly room. Throngs of Oldwass students gathered around Garyl, cheerfully clamoring for his attention. Where before there had been a wall of prejudice against the students from Houghtow for having come from a different college, now everyone was eager to make friends. There was no longer any trace of their original attitude. Some of their number were still directing the odd hostile glance towards Garyl and the other outsiders, but they were now clearly in the minority.

Decona stroked his beard as he looked out over the crowd.If this has gotten them to understand that people of extraordinary talent exist in the outside world as well, that alone should mark this exchange program a success.His gaze fell on a table in the back, where he noticed a group of students from the faction still taking a dim view of the visitors from the Houghtow College of Magic. He watched them for a while, before calling over one of the guards. “Tell me,” he said. “Did that girl ever end up handing over those golem remains for our examination?”

“Yes, sir,” reported the guard. “Although I have to say, she took some convincing.”

“She certainly seemed like she was being stubborn on that point, from what I saw,” Decona said. “Well? Have we learned anything?”

The guard leaned in to whisper in Decona’s ear. “The examination is still ongoing, of course,” he said. “But we were able to analyze the magical record engraved in its body and identify the individual believed to be controlling the golem.” He whispered the next part even more quietly, taking extra care not to allow the people around them to overhear.

◇Oldwass College of Magic—Gymnasium◇

The morning after the incident with the golem, students gathered in the college’s indoor gymnasium. It was an enormous space, boasting vast dimensions both vertical and horizontal. At that moment, Wyne was flying circles around the room. “Yahoo!” she cried out in a cheerful voice.

Chasing after Wyne came two students mounted on broomsticks, flying after her at high speeds and doing their best to shoot her out of the air with their attack spells. “What the heck!” one of them complained. “This girl never stops moving!”

The students were currently attending their Offensive Magic class, where they had been partnered with Wyne for a mock battle in the gymnasium. Even though she was outnumbered two-to-one, however, Wyne was able to dodge every spell with ease, sometimes dropping precipitously or making sharp turns to avoid projectiles as she flew around the room unimpeded.

“I know the Oldwass College of Magic rules say that big sis Wyne has to be treated as a student and participate in class exercises, but really, it’s not a fair contest to pair her up against students.” Elinàsze smirked with wry amusement as she watched from the stands.

Wyne was still quite young, but she had once been known as the ace of the legion of dragons, the strongest unit in the entire Dark Army. She was used to fighting in actual battles. The students of the Oldwass College of Magic, who had little experience with real combat, didn’t even register as opponents.

“Oh! It’s Eli-Eli!” Wyne looked Elinàsze’s way, smiling and waving without any concern for the training exercise she was taking part in. “Hi-hi!” The students she was fighting launched an attack while Wyne was distracted by her sister, of course, but Wyne simply dodged it without even looking.

“Big sis Wyne, honestly!” Elinàsze said, unable to stifle a laugh at the sight. “There’s no need to speak to me right now! Focus on the mock battle!”

“Ah ha ha!” Wyne laughed. “Don’t worry-worry! I’ve got this in the bag-bag!”

At that, the other students from the Oldwass College of Magic who were watching the fight let out a laugh as well—not a scornful laugh mocking a reviled outsider, but a laugh full of affection that one would give a friend.

Her opponents, for their part, grumbled atop their broomsticks. “She’s really giving us the runaround, isn’t she?”

“How can we be losing against someone who can’t even use offensive magic?! All she can do is run away!”

“I can do way-way more than run away!” Wyne protested. She began spinning in midair, her wings spread wide as she flew up alongside the pair. The move produced a blast of air that buffeted the students, ruining their balance on their broomsticks and sending them plummeting to the ground.

“Wh-Wha?!” they cried, and then, swift as the wind, Wyne grasped them out of the air and hoisted them up by their lapels. The two dangled precariously from Wyne’s arms.

“Are you okay-kay?” Wyne asked, genuine worry in her voice.

“Y-Yeah, thanks.”

“You saved us.”

The two acknowledged their defeat, thanking Wyne for the rescue. The students watching all laughed and cheered happily, applauding and celebrating Wyne’s victory.

“Those two sure talked tough, but they couldn’t do a thing against that girl!”

“Who was just boasting about how they’d never lose to a demihuman, hmm?”

“But wow! That Wyne girl is one demihuman who sure can fly!”

“No kidding! That was, like, total freedom of movement!”

The students applauded on and on. Not one of them, it turned out, had it in their heart to dislike Wyne.

◇ ◇ ◇

Ever since their victory over the invading golem, the students from Houghtow were finding themselves receiving favorable treatment from everyone at the Oldwass College of Magic. It had come to light that the golem who attacked the banquet had already defeated a number of college guards. It was an enemy even trained fighters couldn’t handle, but the visitors from the Houghtow College of Magic had bested it and had come out virtually unscathed. It was a feat that earned them the respect and approval of the Oldwass student body. There were still a number of students who insisted on treating them as outsiders, adopting an attitude of open contempt, but by the end of the day, their number had dwindled to a small group of holdouts.

In the break period after the mock battle exercise, Salina found herself sitting in the school dining hall. “Well, I suppose I should be grateful,” she said, taking a sip of the black tea she had purchased, glancing furtively at the group of girls from the Oldwass College of Magic. They were surrounding Garyl from all sides, bombarding him with words of effusive praise.

“Oh, Garyl! You were so dashing yesterday, you know!”

“You saved our lives!”

“I’ve never met someone so handsome and gallant!”

“You were extraordinary in the mock battle today too!”

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Hemmed in on all sides, Garyl smiled awkwardly and thanked everyone in turn. “Oh! Well, thank you for saying so!”

Garyl and Salina had gone together to the dining hall after the mock battle was over but had split up when they arrived; Salina went to get herself a drink while Garyl bought something from the bakery. No sooner had they separated, however, than Garyl had wound up surrounded by a throng of female Oldwass College of Magic students. It was hardly a surprise. Garyl was a well-groomed boy with handsome features and every quality that made someone a target of attraction. Not only that, but he had played the greatest and most dramatic role in defeating the golem the day before, and his attitude throughout the day he had been in the college made it clear that he valued his companions dearly.

Many of the girls at the Houghtow College of Magic had fallen for him already. They had begun whispering to each other in the halls.

“He’s not just a pretty face, is he?”

“His strength is certainly extraordinary.”

“No kidding! I’m getting the chills just thinking about it!”

“And he’s such a loyal friend too, isn’t he?”

Before anyone knew it, Garyl’s fanclub had spread to the Oldwass College of Magic. And now, once again, he was surrounded by girls.

Finally, Salina had had enough. She strode over to Garyl, haughtily clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “That’s enough, everyone!” she said. “It’s nearly time for the next class to begin, you know. Now, clear out and hurry back to your classrooms!” She pushed her way into the middle of the group, circling protectively around Garyl.

The other girls tried to pull her away from Garyl by force. “Hey! Who does this girl think she is?” said one.

“I do hope you’re not trying to get between us and Garyl,” said another.

Salina, however, refused to budge an inch. She kept on loudly clapping her hands, circling around Garyl in an attempt to keep the girls away. In the end, they relented and left Garyl with Salina despite their clear reluctance to go.

“Come back never!” Salina said, making a tremendously rude gesture at the girls’ retreating backs.

“Thanks for helping me out there,” Garyl said, wincing at Salina’s behavior. “But I really wish you wouldn’t make gestures like that, Salina. It’s not a good look for a girl as lovely as you.”

“M-My apologies...” Salina dropped her head, deflated. “I won’t do it again.”

◇Oldwass College of Magic—Assembly Room◇

Following the golem’s attack, the school locked the door to the assembly room shut, sealing it with magic. Inside were the remains of the golem itself, graciously returned to the college after Elinàsze had briefly claimed it for her own. The faculty of the Oldwass College of Magic had been busy over the past day, inspecting it thoroughly with all kinds of spells.

“As I suspected,” said a man wearing a blue outfit stood with his arms folded, staring at the golem as it lay lifeless on the floor. “I don’t see any of the signs we would expect if this golem had come from outside the college.”

“So, then, Sage Ironwall, we were correct?” Beside him, Decona delicately touched his hand to his beard.

Sage Ironwall had originally been one of the Heroes summoned by the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode. In the world he had come from, he had been an accomplished martial artist with a particular focus on defensive techniques, his abilities earning him the name of Hero Ironwall. Since his retirement from the post of Hero, he had become a famous practitioner of defensive magic. He changed his title from Hero to Sage, living out his remaining days in the Degadon Mountains and making occasional visits to the Oldwass College of Magic to deliver the odd guest lecture. That day, however, Sage Ironwall had stopped by the college for a different reason—investigating the golem that had appeared suddenly and caused such a stir.

Sage Ironwall crossed his arms as he looked around the room. “I see no sign of any incursion from the outside,” he said. “Besides, for a golem created by the Diabolists’ magic to appear inside a building as heavily protected by magic security as the Oldwass College of Magic, I would have to conclude that someone deliberately let it in.”

Decona furrowed his brow at Sage Ironwall’s report. “You know, we were able to analyze the traces of the technique used to create this golem and identify a member of our college who uses the same style of magic, but I’m afraid this individual never returned to her room after the incident last night.” He shook his head from side to side. “It’s truly a terrible situation. We need to find her as soon as we can!”

“Well, chairman?” Sage Ironwall asked, turning to face Decona. “What is this individual’s name?”

“Ah, yes,” Decona said. “Her name is—”

◇Oldwass College of Magic—Student Dormitories◇

That evening after classes had finished for the day, Elinàsze returned to her room. All of the exchange students from the Houghtow College of Magic had been assigned empty rooms in the student dormitory to stay in for the duration of their trip.

“I really hoped I would be able to stay with papa while I was visiting this college,” she said, puffing out her cheeks in a sullen pout. “Why is he staying in an inn in Klyrode Castle Town while I’m all the way over here?” As Elinàsze pondered her misfortune, however, there came a knock on the door. “Yes? Who is it?”

The door opened, revealing a girl dressed in the student uniform of the Oldwass College of Magic—Tsulala the snow rabbitfolk, president of the student council.

“Oh! Good evening, Tsulala,” Elinàsze greeted her. “Have you paid Loppul a visit yet? She was looking for you back when we were finishing our classes for the day.”

“I have,” said Tsulala, tilting her head down and glancing at the room around her with upturned eyes. “Don’t worry about that—it’s all taken care of.”

“Hm?” Elinàsze noticed Tsulala casting her gaze around the room. “Is there someone else you’re looking for? I’m afraid the only one in this room is me.”

“I see,” Tsulala said. “That’s all right. I don’t mind if it’s just the two of us.” She raised her head, looking up at Elinàsze. “I know a spot behind the residence hall where you can find magic flowers with uncommon properties growing in the wild. Would you perhaps accompany me there, as a symbol of our friendship?”

“Oh?” Elinàsze cocked her head, clearly interested. “Rare magic flowers, you say?”

Tsulala nodded, an eager smile on her face.

◇Oldwass College of Magic—Behind the Residence Hall◇

Some time later, Tsulala was leading Elinàsze on a walk behind the dormitories. “So, Tsulala,” Elinàsze said. “We’ve been walking for quite a while, haven’t we? How much further are these wild-growing magic flowers of yours?”

“We’re almost there,” Tsulala said, looking back over her shoulder at Elinàsze. “They’re just a short ways up the slope of the mountain behind the school.” She went to take Elinàsze’s hand to lead her farther on, but a magic circle appeared at Elinàsze’s fingertips, forcing Tsulala’s hand away. “E-Elinàsze?” Tsulala asked, confused.

Elinàsze refused to budge from the spot. “I’m very sorry,” she said, looking over at Tsulala. “I can’t go any farther away from the dormitory. Our group leader Miss Belano told us in no uncertain terms that it wasn’t allowed.” She bowed politely and turned around, starting back the way they came.

“H-Hey, wait!” Tsulala called to her, holding out her hand. “It really is just ahead! We’ve come this far—we should really go all the way!”

“I’m very sorry,” Elinàsze repeated, without so much as turning around. “I really can’t break the rules.” She continued on her way back towards the dorms.

“Tch,” Tsulala muttered under her breath. “And I was so close to getting her outside the Oldwass College of Magic barrier. Well, no matter. This is close enough.” She raised her right arm to the heavens, a black magic circle appearing at her feet. It began to rotate, summoning golem after golem. Even a quick glance would be enough to tell that they were the same sort of golem that had attacked at the banquet the night before.

“Hm,” Elinàsze said. “So you were the one, Tsulala.” She pressed a hand to her temple, sending a telepathic message. “Garyl, can you hear me?”

There was no response.

“What a pity,” Tsulala said, a victorious leer on her face. “There’s a spell on this area preventing telepathic communication. I’m afraid there won’t be any calling for help from you. Not only that, but you’ll find the spell Seal Magic will prevent you from using any of your own magic as well.”

“Oh, really,” Elinàsze said, seeming strangely unconcerned as she looked down at her hands.

This girl.A crease formed in Tsulala’s brow.Does she not understand the situation she’s in? Or is she so overcome with fear she’s gone a little strange?“Elinàsze,” she said, smirking diabolically. “Come along quietly and be my hostage, if you please. With your life and Tsulala’s as bargaining chips, this time we might just be able to claim a certain item from that old fool Decona.”

Elinàsze curiously cocked her head. “Tsulala’s life, you say. You know, I had a hunch there was something off about you since we first met. I suppose my instincts were right. So then, who are youreally?”

The girl who had taken Tsulala’s form changed before Elinàsze’s eyes, becoming a small girl with pink skin and two jet black wings. “Not Tsulala, for certain, but someone taking her form,” she said. “Ah, but I’m afraid I have my reasons for not giving you my name.” She spread her wings, flying at Elinàsze and knocking her to the ground. Without delay, she set to binding Elinàsze’s hand behind her back. “You’re my precious hostage, you know,” she said as she stuffed a magic gag into Elinàsze’s mouth. “Behave yourself, and you might just make it out of this alive.”

“So tell me.”

“Huh?”

“This thing you’re trying to get from the chairman—would you tell me what it actually is? I have to admit, I’m a little curious.”

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“No! Shut up! I told you to behave yourself!”

“Oh, come now, there’s no need to be so mean about it. Would you at least give me a little hint?”

“No, no, no! You’re my hostage, I say! Behave yourself, and—” Just then, the pink girl realized something was very wrong.W-Wait a minute,she thought.The only people here right now should be me and Elinàsze, right? And I have Elinàsze tied up with a magic gag in her mouth to prevent her from speaking! Then...who have I been talking to?

The pink girl stopped what she was doing and looked up, confused. There in front of her was none other than Elinàsze, sitting on the ground with her hands wrapped around her knees. “Hwaaah?!” she exclaimed, wide-eyed in disbelief.

“Hm?” Elinàsze said, her own expression one of mild curiosity. “Is something the matter?”

“Wh-Wh-What do you mean, ‘is something the matter’?!” the girl sputtered. “I just tied you up, didn’t I?!”

“Oh, that?” Elinàsze said. “That was just my illusory double.”

“What?!” The pink girl’s eyes shot open once again. She looked down at the image of Elinàsze she had bound at her feet and watched as it slowly melted away. “Y-You cast the spell Illusory Double? But how?” she asked in disbelief. “It should be impossible to use magic inside this area!”

“Oh, because of your Seal Magic spell?” Elinàsze said. “I’m sorry, but that spell isn’t enough to seal away my magic.” She waved her right hand, summoning an array of magic circles wherever she pointed. The spell Seal Magic, after all, was only able to prevent spellcasting as long as its target was a lower level than the one casting it.

“Th-Then...that would mean your magic level is higher than mine?”

“Yes,” said Elinàsze. “By quite a bit.” A magic circle appeared behind Elinàsze’s back, rotating slowly. The pink girl trembled in fear at the sight.

“W-Well!” the girl said, rallying her spirits. “My magic level may be lower than yours, but that only means your weakness is brute force! Do you think you can handle an attack from this many of my golems?” She swung her arm dramatically, giving an order to the golems she had summoned earlier, who were still standing by behind her...or so she thought. “H-Huh?” When there was no response to her signal, the pink girl finally sensed that something was wrong. She turned around to find that there was not a single golem anywhere in sight. “Wh-What’s going on?” she said, looking all around in mounting distress. “What happened to all those golems I just summoned?”

Elinàsze regarded the pink girl wordlessly.I claimed them all with my magic circle, to make up for having to give back the golem remains from earlier,she thought.But if I tell her that, she’ll tell me to give them back too, so I think I’ll keep my mouth shut for now.And so, she simply watched as the girl continued to panic.

“Wh-What?!” the girl snapped, noticing Elinàsze staring at her. “Don’t you look at me like that! I don’t need your pity!” A tear ran down her cheek.

She does seem sort of pathetic like this, though, doesn’t she?Elinàsze thought. If she hadn’t pitied the girl before, she certainly was now.

“Elinàsze?” Just then, Elinàsze heard a man’s voice calling out to her from behind.

Th-That voice!Elinàsze turned around in a hurry. There, having come looking for her, was her father Flio. “Papa! What are you doing here?”

“Well, it’s almost time for dinner,” Flio said, “and I saw your signal was coming from this place in the middle of nowhere. I was worried something was wrong, so I came to check. I’m not interrupting something, am I?”

“Oh, um... No, it’s all right,” Elinàsze replied, clearly disappointed. She was happy to see Flio of course, but there was a complicated expression on her face as well.Now that papa’s here, I suppose we’ve been caught. And now he’ll figure everything out himself.

The pink girl looked fearfully between Elinàsze and her father.I-Impossible!she thought.This man’s magic level must be higher than my own as well!

“There was no need to worry for one as accomplished as Madame Elinàsze, of course,” said Hiya, appearing by Flio’s side. “So this is the mastermind behind the golem attack...”

“I mean, I wasn’tworriedor anything,” Damalynas agreed, showing up as well. She fixed the pink girl with a piercing stare. “So, who’s she supposed to be?”

“Big sis Elinàsze!” said Garyl, who had come running all the way from the dorms. “What’s up? How come you cut off your telepathy?”

“Oh, excuse me,” Elinàsze said. “This person said she had sealed my magic, so I thought I’d play along for a little bit.”

D-Don’t tell me...the pink girl thought, trembling even more violentlyas she listened to the newcomers’ conversation.Her telepathic message went through after all...?

Before she knew it, the girl had found herself surrounded by the members of Flio’s house.

“Oh, yes,” Elinàsze said, suddenly remembering something. She turned back towards the pink girl, who at that moment was lying on the ground, arms and legs bound tight by Hiya’s magic. “You said you had the real Tsulala captured somewhere, didn’t you? Would you mind telling us where she is?”

“Ha!” the girl turned her head away defiantly. “I’ll never talk!”

“Hm. I can’t say I hadn’t anticipated this, but it seems this girl is unwilling to cooperate,” said Hiya, a lascivious smile spreading over their face as they looked down at the bound girl. “In that case, Damalynas and myself shall simply ask the question of her body instead, with the arts we have mastered over our training.” They gave a sinister, suggestive laugh.

The girl twitched, straining against the bonds to lift her head and look up at Hiya. “Y-Y-You won’t be speaking to me like that in just a moment! Don’t let it go to your head just because you have me tied up! Soon, my allies will come to my aid, and then you’ll be sorry!” Her eyes were swimming with tears, but even so her voice was still full of bravado.

“By allies, do you mean them?” Garyl asked. He pointed behind him, where Ben’ne appeared, carrying two girls in her arms wrapped in a bamboo mat—Laddon of the snowmallet clan and Khime the snow maiden, Tsulala’s best friends at the Oldwass College of Magic, who followed her wherever she went.

“They have already confessed to everything,” Ben’ne said. “How they grew close to the maiden Tsulala, earned her trust, and then captured her so that you could take her place.” She tossed her two captives to the ground and thrust the naginata against their throats, looking down at the pink girl.

“I-I’m so sorry...”

“We were just following orders...”

The two murmured feverishly, pale-faced with terror.

“U-Um, Ben’ne?” Garyl started.

“Yes, my master?” Ben’ne asked.

“Well, it’s just... Those two seem really, really afraid,” Garyl said. “What did you do to make them confess?”

“I did nothing worthy of note,” said Ben’ne. “Merely the lightest application of the interrogation techniques passed down in the Land of the Rising Sun.”

“Merely the lightest touch, huh?” Garyl said, looking down at the pair. Laddon and Khime were both shivering with fright.Somehow I find that a bit hard to believe,he thought, frowning and cocking his head to the side.

“Now then,” said Flio, smiling his usual easygoing smile as he looked over at the pink girl. “It looks like there’s nobody coming to help you. Even if you have allies outside of the Oldwass College of Magic, they can’t break through the barrier around the school, can they? It would make this a lot easier if you’d cooperate and tell us what you know.”

“I must object,” said Hiya. “There is no need for you to sully your hands with this, Exalted One. Your unworthy servant Hiya can easily change her attitude with the skills I have mastered in my training.” They looked down at the bound girl, making ominous grabbing gestures with their hands.

“No!” said Ben’ne, pointing the blade of her naginata towards the pink girl’s neck. “Please, allow me to use my interrogation techniques to secure her confession!”

“Y-Y-You’d better not do anything stupid, or you’ll never learn anything!” the girl said, still putting on a brave face in spite of how hard she was trembling. “You don’t even know my name, do you?!”

At this, Flio pressed his right index finger against the bound girl’s forehead, summoning a small magic circle.

“Wh-What are you—” the girl began, but Flio ignored her and simply finished casting the spell.

“This girl’s name is Gelado,” he reported, removing his finger after just a moment.

“What?!” the girl—Gelado—stared in disbelief. “You! D-Did you just read my mind?!”

“She’s a part of the Diabolist clan,” Flio explained, smiling as mildly as ever all the while. “It seems they’ve been trying all sorts of things to bring the Oldwass College of Magic under their control. I was able to figure out where they’ve been keeping the real Tsulala too.”

Elinàsze, Garyl, Hiya, Damalynas and Ben’ne all gathered round to hear what Flio had to say.

“W-Wait!” Gelado said. “Wh-Who are you, anyway?”

The look on her face was one of pure despair.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next part happened unbelievably fast. Flio, having pulled the location Tsulala was being held captive straight from Gelado’s mind, brought Elinàsze and the rest straight to her prison, rescued Tsulala, and destroyed the building in less than a minute’s time. Then, after reporting the situation to Decona with a quick telepathic message, they headed back to the Oldwass College of Magic.

“Sister!” When they got back, Loppul, who had been informed of the situation, greeted Tsulala with a joyful hug. “You know, I did think you had been acting strange lately...” she said. “I can’t believe that was an impostor...”

“Loppul...” said Tsulala. “I thought I might never see you again... I’m so glad...”

The two sisters hugged each other tight, tears streaming from their eyes. Decona smiled as he watched, placing a hand on his long white beard. “I must say, Mister Flio, you and yours have done us a great service today,” he said.

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“Not at all!” Flio remarked, smiling his usual easygoing smile. “I just did what anyone would.”

“Incidentally, Mister Flio, if I may...” Decona continued.

“Yes? What is it?” Flio asked.

“Well...who exactly are all these people you have with you?” Decona gave a bewildered glance at the pile of unconscious humans and demons of various types, all tied up together in a big bundle.

“Oh!” Flio said with a smile. “These people were all stationed as guards protecting the prison where they were keeping Tsulala. I figured I might as well capture them and bring them along.”

Decona’s hand stopped mid stroke. “Th-Then...you mean to tell me...allof these people are Diabolists?”

“Yes, I suppose so,” Flio said.

But if that’s the case...Decona thought.There has to be at least fifty of them in that pile!He looked back towards Flio, flanked by Elinàsze, Garyl, Hiya, Damalynas, and Ben’ne for a total of six.Did six people really just destroy an entire Diabolist stronghold?!

“Chairman Decona,” Sage Ironwall said as he walked up. “We should dispatch a team to investigate the ruins of the stronghold Mister Flio destroyed. If we can find something that might lead us to the Diabolist’s headquarters, we might just be able to bring this conflict to an end.”

“Yes...” Decona said. “Quite right.” He began stroking his beard once again, as if he had just remembered it was something he was supposed to do.

“In that case,” said Sage Ironwall, “let us leave at once.” Then, turning to Flio, he smiled and held out his hand. “Mister Flio, was it? I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your assistance in this incident. Myself and Chairman Decona can handle the rest.”

“Oh!” said Flio, looking just slightly alarmed. It only lasted a moment, however, before he returned to his usual easygoing smile. “Um...well...good luck with that!”

They exchanged some words of parting, and Sage Ironwall stepped out of the room.I wonder...he thought.Why did Mister Flio seem so perturbed for that one moment?He made his way down the hall, the matter nagging at his heart the whole way.

◇ ◇ ◇

Several days passed, and the exchange program came to an end. Elinàsze and the rest boarded the Enchanted Frigate, with Flio once again taking the wheel.

At the ship’s helm, Wyne was pouting dramatically about the events of the trip. “It’s no fair!” she said. “I wanted to go smash-smash bang-bang too!”

“Well,Iwanted to see Lord Garyl heroically vanquish the evildoers!” Salina chimed in, stomping her feet.

Wyne and Salina had been complaining about being left out of the attack on the Diabolists’ stronghold for the whole duration of the exchange program.

“Ah ha ha,” Garyl laughed wryly. “Well, will you forgive us for this one if I promise to let you know the next time something like this happens?”

Elinàsze scoffed as she looked over at Wyne and Salina. “Those two can be such a headache sometimes,” she remarked. “Don’t they know they’d be better offnotgetting into fights?”

“Well said, Elinàsze,” Flio said, nodding his head. “I agree.”

Behind him, Belano nodded in agreement as well.

“By the way,” Elinàsze said, turning to look over at Oryou, who had been standing next to Belano. “How long do you plan on keeping up that disguise, Hiya?”

A smirk came over Oryou’s face. “So,” she said, “you found me out?” Oryou’s body changed shape, transforming back into Hiya’s usual form.

“I mean...” said Elinàsze. “Your magic is a completely different color.”

“That’s right,” Flio nodded, an amused smile on his face. “I would be surprised if you hadn’t figured it out, to be honest.”

Hiya gave the two a deep, elegant bow. “I was simply struck by the desire to visit the place of my birth after so long away,” they said. “And, well, I suppose you can infer the rest.”

“And?” Flio asked. “Was it worth the trip?”

“It was indeed,” Hiya said with another bow. “I must thank you for the opportunity.”

Flio gave Hiya one of his easygoing smiles and put his hands on the controls. As he did, the ship rose into the air. “All right,” he said. “Ready to head home?”

The crowd of teachers and students from the Oldwass College of Magic who had come to see them off waved vigorously as the ship took off, while Garyl and the others waved back from the windows as they flew higher and higher.

“All right!” said Flio, turning the ship’s wheel. “Next stop, Houghtow City!” The bow of the Enchanted Frigate turned south, speeding up until it vanished into the clouds on its course back to Houghtow.