Chapter 75
[EP.10 The Slave Traders]
-Surging Waves, Iron Bars Sinking in Water-
Originally, it wasn't an episode that started with kidnapping.
The protagonist's group on a school trip to the sea.
Regia, Irene, Charlotte.
The three of them, while enjoying a late-night walk, accidentally discovered a carriage of passing slave traders.
The children immediately began tailing them to save people.
They eventually reached a massive transport ship carrying goods.
-Wh-What should we do?
-It seems it will take time for the professors to arrive...!
-It's departing soon.
-We only have this chance now.
-Yes. If we hesitate, it will leave.
-Let's go.
The children immediately boarded the ship and engaged in battle.
Surprised soldiers swarmed in.
Although Regia's ability was unstable at the time.
The other two had reached a certain level, so the crisis seemed to be overcome smoothly.
Unknown retreated as soon as he confirmed Charlotte's face.
-There's no need to get involved with the princess unnecessarily.
-Hunting Dog... Regrettably, our alliance ends here.
The difficulty eased thanks to the quick betrayal.
Despite the Hunting Dog's fierce struggle, the children combined their strength and finally dealt with him.
Just when they thought everything was over.
Boom!!
An intense explosion sound rang out.
The ship was set up to automatically initiate sinking procedures in case the Hunting Dog, who was in charge, died.
It was to prevent the ship and goods from falling into enemy hands.
The hull, having taken a massive hit, slowly began sinking into the sea.
-Th-This... We need to escape quickly!
-The sinking speed is too fast!
-These crazy bastards...!
-There are still innocent people trapped on the lower floors!
-There's not enough time.
-If we continue like this, we'll sink together.
The children did their best, but in their tired state, they couldn't save everyone.
Surging waves.
Iron bars sinking in water.
The children had to helplessly watch all those scenes.
It was by no means an easy ending to call bright.
This pain drove the protagonist's group and later served as a huge nutrient for their growth.
A typical growth narrative through failure.
'Only... it was too cruel.'
Because it vividly showed the mental breakdown of the three people.
No matter how many times they tried, they couldn't save the ship.
The story only progressed if the boss (Hunting Dog) was caught.
They tried to deactivate the explosive magic, but handling magic with hundreds of intertwined circuits wasn't easy.
Moreover, it wasn't just one, but evenly spread throughout the hull.
'In fact, it was unavoidable.'
It would have been the same for anyone else.
No matter how excellent, they were still students who hadn't even had their coming-of-age ceremony.
That's why it felt even worse.
The children dropping tears.
That hazy illustration kept coming to mind.
'Poor things.'
I tasted a complex bitterness.
As I was shaking off the distracting thoughts that had been continuing for a while, suddenly I felt a hand grasping my sleeve.
It was Irene, who had been leaning her body in my arms.
"Wh-What did I just hear? The ship is going to sink...?"
The fox looking up at me with surprised eyes.
Her black pupils were shaking.
It seemed she was shocked by the mention of sinking.
The girl asked in a trembling voice.
"Is the ship really going to sink...?"
Just when it seemed they had barely overcome the crisis, an even more serious problem was waiting.
For her, it must have felt like a bolt from the blue.
I answered calmly.
"It hasn't happened yet."
"That person said an explosion will occur within 30 minutes. If we don't free the people right away......"
"Miss Irene. Please calm down."
"But there's no time...!"
"Shh."
I put my index finger to the girl's lips.
She, who had been speaking in confusion, began to regain her slightly erratic breath as her mouth was blocked.
She gradually calmed down like a dying ember.
Irene soon lowered her head.
"...Is it because of me again?"
There was pain in her muttered words.
Was she blaming herself?
It was none other than her who had cut down the Hunting Dog.
The action meant to protect everyone was actually the switch that brought destruction.
It was understandable for her head to feel numb.
I firmly denied that question.
"That's not the case."
Tap.
A hand raised to her head.
I playfully ruffled her crimson hair to mean she should calm down.
Her unfocused pupils were staring at me.
"This time will be different."
I said confidently.
I gently detached the fox clinging to my chest, then slowly sat her on the floor.
As if telling her to wait just a moment.
"I'll resolve it."
Snap-!
I immediately snapped my fingers.
Behind the shadow covering my fingertips, the sensation throughout my body spread sharply.
I could feel traces of alien mana all over the hull.
-Ding!
[Current remaining output: 20.2%]
The current remaining output was about 20%.
Though I had consumed a lot, it was just enough to barely resolve the situation.
'There are a total of 70 explosive magic spells prepared on the hull.'
Since about 5 could withstand detonation, the number of formulas needing deactivation was 65.
A design where hundreds of circuit lines resonated and connected.
If one was touched wrongly, all 70 would explode simultaneously.
To deactivate the formulas, 65 had to be deactivated simultaneously without a trace of error.
'First priority is securing vision.'
Formulas evenly spread on the lowest floor.
To solve the problem simultaneously, I needed to stand in a position where all 70 were visible at once.
I quickly clapped my hands.
Clap-!
The next moment.
I was standing in the sky slightly away from the ship.
Black waves surged below my feet.
With the sea breeze brushing my ears, I stared at the huge hull.
"......"
After a moment of deep breathing.
I gently raised my closed eyelids.
As white pupils were revealed, a new world covered in mana reflected in my vision.
I pierced through the ship intently.
Woong-!
I could feel it.
The flow of mana holding a heavy pulsation.
Hundreds of circuit lines intertwined, forming tens of thousands of fuse lines.
I raised one finger to point at their center.
"Illuminate."
The lines in the air approached clearly.
I moved my fingertips here and there, pushing aside the circuits tangled like spider webs.
Minute control with full concentration.
Though I was doing it calmly, in reality it was more difficult than getting a thrown pencil lead through a needle hole from afar.
I found the core of the circuits while calmly exhaling.
-Ding!
[Current remaining output: 15.4%]
-Ding!
[Current remaining output: 12.1%]
-Ding!
[Current remaining output: 9.7%]
The output was rapidly consumed.
In a precarious tension, I examined a single flaw that formed all resonance.
I was able to discover it before long.
A star shining brilliantly, surrounded by circuits.
It was the heart of the layered formulas.
I aimed my finger without hesitation.
I put all remaining output into it, and placed a virtual bullet in the fluttering wind.
Holding shimmering heat haze.
"Break."
I recited with my lips.
"Dark Transition."
Right after.
Pop-!
With a sound like air deflating, darkness was fired.
Fragments flying quickly.
It soon pierced the star's heart.
At the same time, the connected circuits were dyed with darkness, losing their brilliant light.
The mana was cut off and neutralized.
Thud, thud-!
Though the time had come, only faint echoes were heard a few times.
There was no change to the ship.
'It worked.'
Just as I let out a sigh of relief.
A familiar mechanical sound rang.
-Ding!
[Current remaining output: 0%]
A blue screen appearing in view.
Followed by dark blood spurting out.
"Cough...!"
Blood soaking my sleeve heavily.
It was blackened blood.
The sense of buoyancy disappeared, and my body floating in the sky began to fall.
Seeing the water surface rapidly approaching without time to react, a belated thought brushed my mind.
'Ah.'
I overdid it.
Splash-!
An intense impact transmitted, and cold waves swallowed my body.
My consciousness blurred as if losing focus.
I needed to surface immediately, but my body wouldn't move as I wanted, perhaps due to exhaustion.
My open eyelids closed again.
'This is bad, at this rate......'
Fading consciousness.
I couldn't offer any resistance.
What reflected in my darkening vision was...
Grab-!
A hand grasping my sinking hand.
With disheveled crimson hair as the last thing I saw.
I closed my eyes.
***
Some time passed.
Back on the ship's roof.
On the cold deck, two thoroughly soaked people were situated.
They looked as if they had just emerged from the sea.
"Wake up...!"
A blonde boy without consciousness.
His body was sprawled lifelessly.
He wasn't breathing.
The fox was pressing the boy's chest with a pale face.
It was desperate CPR.
"No... You can't die like this."
The girl not stopping her hands despite being tired.
Tears that had been welling up fell.
The fox grabbed the boy's chin.
Then overlapping their lips, she blew her breath into him.
A faint color returned to his face.
"Haa, haa..."
Irene breathing roughly.
She lowered her head and repeated artificial respiration several more times.
It was the desperate gesture of a beast trying to save its master.
***
When I woke up.
It was after as much as two days had passed.