Chapter 166

C166: Preparations for Battle (1)

Rudger came out of the laboratory and moved towards his next goal. As he left, Chris Benimore and the pharmacy assistant looked at him with astonishment, but Rudger ignored them lightly.

After seeing a total of 20 blue pills, Rudger was satisfied with the result.

'I owe it to Belaruna.'

The magic recovery pills he made were created with the knowledge of Belaruna. Although eccentric, the elf Belaruna is a pharmaceutical specialist with extensive knowledge of all kinds of medicinal herbs.

She was able to make this kind of medicine because she was more capable than a wizard or alchemist who majored in pharmaceutical science.

'She warned me not to use it as much as possible because it's dangerous.'

Rudger had to make something like this just in case.

'Should I look for someone to handle things next time?'

Of course, he had already thought about that. Rudger quickly organized his future affairs in his head.

'First order Esmeralda will move to kill Crollo Fabius on the last day of the festival.'

But she was only going to move alone, that's why Joanna Lovett was making a separate arbitrary move.

'Since I have a chance, I have to do something.'

He didn't know what Joanna Lovett was thinking, but it wouldn't be a normal thing to see members gathering together. If there is a problem, big or small, it will be troublesome for him, too. So he was thinking of uprooting it before it became a problem.

'However, they are divided into two teams and preparing separately.'

He could either get rid of Esmeralda before she was going to face him. However, the other side is so far away that it is practically impossible to see her hand.

Rudger's top priority was First Order Esmeralda. He had no time to deal with the Second and Third Orders.

'There's no chance unless it's the last day of the festival.'

If he misses this opportunity, he never knows when the next one will be. Therefore he had to deal with Esmeralda but also needed someone to take care of her subordinates.

Of course Rudger knew the right person.

'Aidan.'

Aidan, who uses anti-magic, will be able to suppress them. Of course, entrusting work to students was fraught with anxiety in many ways.

'However, it is even more dangerous to leak information to other teachers or Theon.'

Rudger did not want to show his tail. If the tail was long, it would be trampled on but it was in a situation where he had to take risks.

'With Aidan's skills now, he can easily deal with the black Dawn Society's members disguised as students.'

Of course, he wouldn't take such a gambler if Aidan was alone.

Aidan had reliable colleagues. Tracy Friad, who is a fallen aristocrat but has an outstanding talent for magic Leo, who is a commoner but has a smart brain and is quick-witted and the newly added blood of Suin tribe leader, Iona O Valley.

'Leo is a reasonable person so they won't rush in blindly with him as a safety device.'

If Aidan is a runaway tank with a sense of justice, Leo is a brake that can effectively stop it. Can it be more perfect if they make up for each other's shortcomings?

Rudger stopped walking because he could see the dormitory building where male students lived.

Rudger, who looked at the window from the outside, took a note out of his pocket. Leo's room was on the 4th floor.

The paper on Rudger's palm was covered in shadow and disappeared but it appeared in front of Leo's room on the 4th floor of the dormitory.

'He's a smart guy so he'll take care of it with the information written there.'

Rudger immediately took out a small communication device and plugged it into his ear.

"Hans, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"What's the state of Crollo Fabius now?"

[I've been watching, but he's quietly locked in his room.]

Rudger left Hans to watch Crollo. It was to prevent him from acting as unexpectedly like the last time. Fortunately, so far, he has not been causing much trouble.

'Maybe he's in a state of half desperation.'

He'd appreciate it if Crollo stayed put. There would be one less thing to worry about.

'What's left is waiting for tomorrow to come.'

The sun was setting over the sky before he knew it and the battle would take place tomorrow evening.

'Let's do it.'

* * *

"It's boring."

Leo walked leisurely down the hall of the dormitory.

'I looked around because it was a festival, but it wasn't very interesting.'

For Leo, who prefers to be quietly alone, the atmosphere of the festival was completely opposite to his wishes. So Leo was on his way back to the dormitory after walking around in moderation.

"It's been 4 days, so this festival will end tomorrow. Until then, I can spend some time reading books in my room.'

It was obvious that Aidan would bother him on the last day, but it was something to think about then. Leo, who arrived at his room with that thought, narrowed his eyes when he found the paper that fell in front of the door.

'What is this?'

He picked up the paper and immediately looked around. There was no one around, and there was no sign of anyone passing by.

'I don't think anyone dropped it by mistake.'

Leo thought so and glanced at the contents on the paper.

'This is...'

Leo's expression changed in an instant and his bored expression flew away.

'If what's written here is true.'

Leo went straight into the dormitory room just in case anyone saw the note. He sat in front of the desk and read the contents on the note several times to confirm that he was not mistaken.

'This is a big deal.'

Evildoers have infiltrated the academy, and they are planning something on the last day of the festival. If it was someone else, he would think it was someone's bad joke, but Leo didn't.

'I've been constantly receiving information that there are suspicious people inside the academy.'

He didn't know who sent this, but at least it wasn't written as a joke.

Leo thought calmly.

The person who handed this information is completely anonymous and cannot be identified. The next question was why was it sent to him?

'No way...'

Leo, leaning on the back of the chair, opened his eyes wide.

'Do you know who I am?'

Leo hurriedly changed his posture and read the contents of the note again with trembling hands. In the written words, the movements of the people hiding in Theon were written in detail.

At first glance, it seems to be just conveying information to him but Leo realized that another meaning was hidden in the words.

- I know who you are.

'The person who sent me this note is telling me that.'

That's why this valuable information was sent to him. The other party knew that he was a special intelligence agent belonging to the Liberation Army.

Leo clenched his teeth. Aside from how they found out his identity, he became angry at the fact that the other party was so blatantly trying to take advantage of him but at the same time, he was afraid.

'He's a scary person. Rather than revealing who I am, he's trying to use me.'

Soon, his fist relaxed and he laughed.

"Yeah. This is my karma after all."

Leo, of course, didn't like his role. It was because the Liberation Army forced him to join them and gave him this position. In the end, it is him who was shaken by affection and failed to reject their dangerous proposal.

The Liberation Army did not want to miss Leo, who was a commoner talented in magic. They coaxed his acquaintance into the Liberation Army, and threatened him with half a hostage. In the end, it was Leo himself who lost.

'Damn them. What is liberation for the common people?'

Leo hates the aristocracy. However, he also doesn't sympathize with the Liberation Army, which is indiscriminately terrorizing everyone.

Liberation for the common people? Then how could they not hesitate to oppress the same commoner?

Therefore, Leo had half a distrust of human beings, and he had no intention of getting close to anyone in Theon until he met Aidan.

'......Yes, no matter what, if this information is true, and if the other person's intention is to send this information to me.'

He had no choice but to follow for now.

'But I'll find out who you are.'

Leo stormed out of his room. Since he found out about this, he was going to have a conversation with Aidan. What's important is how to tell Aidan this issue.

'I can say that I discovered this by chance and make him tell the teachers naturally.'

Leo planned the whole process in his head.

Just in time, Aidan was seen in the distance. Was he also looking for him?

Aidan, who ran as soon as he saw him, shouted before Leo started talking.

"Leo! I just found a suspicious person!"

"......What?"

Feeling uneasy about Aidan's words, Leo asked calmly.

".........Tell me what's going on."

"Yes!"

Aidan explained to Leo what he had just gone through.

There was a suspicious person, so he secretly followed him, and there was a meeting, and he overheard the conversation they were secretly having.

'Oh? This....'

Leo, who listened to Aidan, had no choice but to feel something strange.

'It's the same as the note in front of my room.'

Aidan, apparently, has already discovered an unidentified organization.

"Leo, what shall we do now?"

Looking at Aidan, who is torn, Leo felt like a fool that he worried until a while ago and realized again that he attracted events too often.

* * *

In the dark moonless night a woman opened her eyes quietly. Her red eyes glistened in the darkness.

'It's night.'

She had an old dream while she was asleep about the nostalgic scenery of that day. Beautiful flower beds and green meadows, fun stories from the wind and people who have always smiled and her mother, the nun that raised her.

She had nothing to be ashamed of. The world was so beautiful and warm that there was nothing more she wanted but that happiness was brutally trampled on by an aristocrat.

- Agh! Help me!

- Please! Please like this child!

-Mom! Where are you?

In the blazing fire, people's screams resound. A reckless massacre was committed solely for the sole reason that they tried to oppose him.

The nightmare of that day, no matter how hard she tried to forget it, continued to haunt her mind.

- Because of you.

- This wouldn't have happened if you just quietly left town.

- I shouldn't have accepted you!

The resentment of the dead poured a curse upon her as she vomited her blood. The people in her dreams were staring at her with tears in her eyes and countless voices resounded in Esmeralda's head.

It was the nun who raised her, a middle-aged woman who treated her like her daughter. She was opening her mouth trying to say something but every time Esmeralda covered her ears. She didn't want to hear that her mother resented her.

-... ... !

-......!

She was still living in hell and had to finish her revenge in order to get out.

"Now, this is the last time."

Esmeralda curled up and said in a trembling voice. Killing Crollo Fabius tomorrow night will end her revenge.

Since the Roteng Great Fire, Esmeralda has only moved for revenge. She had to kill everyone that burned the town. She must take revenge on the man who caused her grief.

She had to convey the pain of loss to him.

However,

'Should I?'

Each time she killed, her hatred grew out of control, and the more she killed, the more her pitiful victims were. The power of her hatred was beyond her control and caused an unintended disaster.

The more she acted, the more her heart was broken. Esmeralda was an Elementalist, so she could feel her soul being corrupted by her vengeance.

It would be dangerous if her soul broke, because she wouldn't be able to go back to the past. The memories of her past were combined with innocence and created a personality.

"Selina."

A poor child who still retains her innocence, unlike her who has changed now and the personality that she has created with half her soul.

Selina knew nothing but when she fell asleep the monster opened his eyes and went around killing people but she didn't want her to see that.

Selina is the image of her innocent days that she can't see anymore so she wanted to keep her clean. But sometimes, very occasionally, Esmeralda felt envious of Selina.

"Very often, I'm jealous of you."

In fact, Esmeralda herself wanted to live like in the past more than anyone else but the contract with Zero Order made it impossible.

[I will help you take revenge on the Fabius family and when your revenge is over you'll do as I command.]

That was the offer Zero Order made when they recruited her and because she was mad with rage she accepted.

"Would it be better to run away now?"

Now that madness didn't invade her reason. Now, while still remaining sane, she may have the opportunity to give up on her revenge and quietly disappear while turning her back on everything.

She was sure she could start a new life. Not like before, but maybe......

[Esmeralda.]

"......!"

Esmeralda trembled at the flame rising in the dark.

[Are you going to stop taking revenge? Are you going to leave the man who killed us all alone?]

The blazing hands gently smoothed her shoulders and Esmeralda felt goosebumps running down her spine. A terrible energy was seeped into her body by the flames.

[We need to avenge ourselves. Because of you.......]

-You're a good kid, aren't you?

Esmeralda's trembling body stopped at those words. A stream of tears ran down her cheeks under her red, out of focus, eyes.

"Yes..."

Madness engulfed reason and a smile formed around Esmeralda's mouth, which had been expressionless.

"I have to take revenge."

Esmeralda smiled vacantly. Just like when she was called the Witch of Fire that burns everything to death.

* * *

The last day of the festival has come. People enjoyed the festival more diligently as if they did not want to leave regrets for the Magic Festival.

Theon also prepared a grand fireworks display on the last day of the festival to give everyone unforgettable memories.

The last stage of the magic festival was a black sky covered by fireworks and people were already waiting for the big event to come.

"That's a lot."

Rudger, who was standing at the top of the spire that overlooked the festival scene muttered.

All of these people were going to have happy and joyful memories but that light-filled street wasn't where he was supposed to go. His objective was a dark street where only dim street lights exist, a dark street to which no one pays attention to. That's where he was going to be today.

[Brother, they moved.]

"I got it."

After communicating with Hans, a black shadow enveloped his body and he disappeared.