Chapter 80
"Are you feeling better?"
Pastel examined Melissa who drank the emergency antidote.
"The pain relief effect is fast and good. The worsening internal injuries are also calming, so I'll be fine for a while. I should be able to meet medical staff like this."
Melissa touched her chest and answered gently. Then she smiled subtly.
"Pastel, you have excellent talent in alchemy. Or perhaps excellent ability to acquire related trading companies."
Uwa.
Completely calm.
To calmly self-reflect like this even after inhaling poison gas.
Is this the successor of the Southern Commander-in-Chief?
Soft pink Pastel can't keep up.
Melissa pointed beyond the purple poison gas mist. Gunshots could be heard from beyond where nothing could be seen even an inch ahead due to the hazy gas covering everything.
"I'm fine, so go help Bellamont. The commotion doesn't sound like a good situation."
Pastel shook her head.
"Objectively, Bellamont isn't in an urgent situation. It seems I can help after evacuating you."
『Sword blade sounds intermittently ring out striking bullets right after gunshots. Seeing how the interval between gunshots and sword blade sounds remains constant, the distance bullets are flying is always the same. It's clearly a stalemate where neither side is closing or widening the distance between them.』
The demon grasped the battle situation just from sounds beyond the gas.
『Even if it's a prepared murder plan, killing an apprentice knight-class isn't easy. The terrorists are surrounding the duchess and trying to make her succumb to the gas while stalling for time. Though she's not immune to gas like a knight-class, it's a sure method even if it takes quite a while.』
Demon is totally reliable.
"What?"
Melissa tilted her head.
An innocent reaction befitting a magician not sensitive to sensations.
Pastel made a gesture of listening then proudly explained.
"According to my clever deduction, the sounds we're hearing now indicate a stalemate. Since Elsior is strong, the terrorists can't do anything and are just keeping her in check while surrounding her. They're trying to deal a fatal blow with gas attack."
Melissa's mouth opened slightly.
"You can even know such things. I can't imagine how much effort you must have put in."
It was a gaze acknowledging that Pastel had surpassed her in written exam scores throughout the semester.
"Of course! I don't just know that!"
Pastel added words to reassure Melissa while putting her on the broom.
Melissa's eyes went round.
"You can deduce something else in this situation?"
"Yes yes! Because I'm smart!"
"What deduction?"
"So, so..."
Pastel who was thinking rolled her eyes for a moment. Then she desperately looked down at the magic sword at her waist.
Demon! Demon!
『Why are you looking at me.』
Quickly! Quickly!
『Hmm.』
Melissa who was awkwardly seated on the back of the broom looked puzzled.
"What deduction?"
Huk.
I don't know either!
Pastel's mouth fell open.
『If I had to say, it seems the terrorists' goal isn't just killing the duchess. It's not because the terrorists are radical demon race. They released poison gas but are just leaving it, not properly utilizing it for mass slaughter, so it seems they have a completely different purpose.』
The demon muttered while thinking.
『The terrorists probably don't intend to break the stalemate if possible. The sound of striking bullets can be heard from airships in the sky too. Since it's a signal that the duchess is alive, airship bombardment isn't happening, so if the terrorists have other intentions, they won't take unnecessary risks.』
Waa!
Demon's thoughts were exactly my thoughts!
Actually smart Pastel already knew, but just checked if demon knew well!
Pastel quickly recited the demon's words while riding the front of the broom.
Melissa marveled.
Proud.
"Now you're reassured, right? I'll take you to medical staff."
When she exerted the power to control magic stones, the white broom carrying two people rose with difficulty, going uweeng.
Broom friend, don't exaggerate and work hard.
She tapped the broom tok tok. The broom rose trembling tremble tremble. Then it stopped rising any higher once their feet left the ground. The flying speed was quite slow too.
"Is it broken?"
"It's just heavy I guess."
Ing.
When she focused her mind and sensed inside the broom, she felt magic stone fuel being consumed pung pung from overload.
I should have ordered a two-seater.
Melissa was curious.
"Does the performance change depending on weight? That's right. How can it fly in the first place? To think flight is possible without being an archmage."
Oing.
Is flying unusual?
Should I not have used the Demon King's power so noticeably?
"Broom friend can fly just because, it's broom friend."
It's a broom.
Melissa tilted her head.
"Broom friend is broom friend because broom friend is broom friend."
Nod nod.
"Is that so?"
Melissa was puzzled then suddenly aimed her staff towards the gas mist.
Light arose from the staff tip. A lightning bullet that was always prepared flew. For a moment there was a scream and the gas beyond flashed in human shape. A collapsing sound was heard.
Oing.
Pastel was dumbfounded.
Melissa recharged magic by chanting spells again then spoke nonchalantly.
"Seems they sent to check if I was dead. Let's go quickly. If high-altitude flight isn't possible with the broom, we can go along the ground and exit through the arena entrance. We'll also subtly approach and check Bellamont's situation on the way."
"U-um."
Melissa is scary.
Killing people really happens in an instant.
It's a realm inexperienced by 0-time killer coward Pastel (in her right mind).
She silently controlled the broom.
She moved bypassing the area where gunshots were heard while approaching adequately. The sounds of Elsior and the terrorists gradually got closer.
She swallowed dryly gulp.
『It's good the broom doesn't make footsteps. Since it's in gas mist, even if the terrorist is apprentice knight-class, they won't easily notice.』
Ah that's right.
Relieved.
『After the terrorism ends, it would be good to make potions that create mist too. Mist potions will be safe even if you clumsily break them by accident.』
Ing.
Why does demon naturally think I'll break them by accident?
Seems he lacks faith.
When it's all over, I should show my excellent hand skills by juggling paralysis potions in the bedroom.
Pastel resolved.
The demon who had no idea what the child was thinking diligently gave teachings.
『Listen carefully to the sounds ringing out. They've cornered the duchess against a wall and surrounded her. If you listen closely, you can hear the sounds of terrorists composing the encirclement. Every time the duchess strikes down bullets with her spear, the encirclement tenses and makes sounds. It's typical behavior of poorly trained troops.』
Pastel listened closely. Her hearing that had gradually become too inhuman from excessive magic stone consumption made sounds audible well.
Every time Elsior struck down bullets, the personnel composing the encirclement flinched and made voices reorganizing the encirclement.
Wow, it really seems that way.
It seems they're making voices to confirm trust with each other, worried Elsior might suddenly rush in and massacre them, and doubly worried their comrades might run away first.
I think I understand what it means to be poorly trained.
『You understood. Now try to gauge each person's position through the sounds of the duchess striking down bullets and the terrorists' voices.』
Okay.
Pastel focused her mind.
Synesthetic association changed sounds into images. The forms of Elsior and the encirclement were grasped just from sounds.
Uwang?
『Judging from your expression, you did well. If you've gauged positions, now you can guess the weapons composing the encirclement.』
Uweh, is that so?
『The distance between the duchess and the encirclement is about 5m. Considering the duchess is using a spear, it's an ample distance, so we can guess the encirclement is using long-handled weapons. They're likely common spear types, but given their training state, equipment unification probably wasn't achieved, so personal equipment is likely mixed in too.』
Pastel rolled her eyes and thought.
So, so.
Then she nodded.
Demon's words seem right!
Bad terrorists, using spears!
To think they're using spears!
They're just bad anyway!
Pastel roughly let the demon's teachings that seemed to progress too quickly flow out of her mind.
She turned to look at Melissa in the back seat of the broom. Since they were within earshot if voices were made, they conversed just with gazes.
My smart brain deduced it's a complete stalemate!
It doesn't seem necessary to fight while straining Melissa who inhaled gas!
Melissa looked at the invisible purple gas beyond then vaguely nodded with a face that didn't understand.
Good.
Elsior, hang on for a bit. I'll take Melissa to medical staff then come help right away.
Not me but hormone friend!
She circled around the encirclement and bypassed with the broom.
A gunshot rang out. Pastel flinched then realized she wasn't discovered and felt relieved.
Elsior's mocking voice was heard striking down a bullet.
"It's useless. I'm not shabby enough to die to a terrorist like you who relies on gunpowder weapons despite barely reaching apprentice knight-class realm. There are differences in rank even within the same realm."
Uwee.
A temperament completely different from Melissa.
But separate from the provocation, the terrorist seemed to focus on keeping her in check without reacting. Gunshots rang out whenever Elsior showed any movement.
Elsior struck down bullets then reorganized.
"Or are demon race who can only do suicidal terrorism recklessly crashing airships into arenas unable to even feel rank? You only know how to pray to the Demon King for luck to luckily survive in the crash and luckily succeed-"
"Don't speak as you please!"
The terrorist was enraged.
Pastel tilted her head at the somewhat familiar voice.
It's clearly the terrorist slash demon race mercenary captain handed over to the Knight Order.
His name was probably Mr. Tmaout?
"The Demon King is not a being you can casually call!"
Eeng.
It is that person.
Excuse me, Knight Order everyone?
Why handle work like this?
"You think we crashed the airship just believing in luck? As if! We grasped the weakness of this academy's protective barriers!"
Tmaout continued speaking while shooting.
"During the enrollment practical exam, Marquis Craft crashed an airship into the exam site but her body was fine! It was thanks to the transparent barrier covering the sky offsetting the collision! This terrorism utilized that data! It means everything was meticulously planned terrorism, not luck!"
Oing.
Why suddenly my name?
Elsior immediately reacted.
"Don't tell me that rumor is true? That Craft who's trying to get Sky Island instigated terrorism and swallowed the academy first. The Knight Order is next, they say."
"Instigating terrorism?! Don't look at us like that! Who's subordinate to such a family?!"
Tmaout was enraged. The sound of a fist roughly hitting a chest was heard.
"I came to kill you humans of my own will, with my own heart!"
Gunfire hit the sky.
"Even if Craft confessed this place is a chessboard, this choice is my will!"
"What?"
Elsior was quietly shocked.
"Craft herself acknowledged it...?"
And Pastel was shocked along with her.
What are you talking about?!
I never said such things!
A memory arose from somewhere in her mind.
It seems she made villainous statements to that Mr. Tmaout in Craft acting mode.
Huk.
Pastel's mouth fell open and she froze like that.
She rolled her eyes then erased the memory with an eraser in her mind scrub scrub.
Scrub scrub scrub scrub.
Clean.
Then she thought again.
I never said such things!
Uwaa!
I'm wronged!
Feeling an intense gaze, Pastel turned to look at the back seat of the broom.
Melissa stared intently.
A gaze looking at a villain~
Uwaa!
I'm doubly wronged...
Tmaout's voice was heard.
"Of course she acknowledged it herself, and from a frightened attitude she suddenly changed and mocked-"
Uwak!
As the revelation was about to continue, Pastel hurriedly hit the broom.
The slow broom accelerated while breaking.
Shwoong!
Escaping the scene...!
Pastel who quickly handed Melissa over to medical staff returned at full speed to rescue Elsior.
I'll carry out justice on the wicked terrorists...!
It was absolutely not for silencing.