Chapter 34:……………………………………….
The Tutor Everyone Wants (4)
And, in truth, I knew.
I’m not some naive princess—what could I not know?
Still, I didn’t plan to stop him.
It’s admirable when a student thinks about their teacher!
Besides, this was a rare chance to spend time with Logan after a long while.
Sylvia often came barging over unannounced, played around, and left, but Logan couldn’t just drop by so easily.
Probably because he was conscious of the social spotlight.
Maybe that’s why Logan’s request felt twice as welcome and admirable.
I sat down, sipping the welcome drink on the table, when the lights in the entire auction hall dimmed.
The auction was officially starting.
“…….”
For some reason, Logan leaned forward, clasping his hands tightly. He looked nervous. Cute.
I watched his handsome profile even through the hood and then followed his gaze toward the stage.
The auctioneer, with his tie perfectly arranged, climbed onto the stage and began speaking into the microphone with smooth, practiced words.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this week’s auction! Our main items are the ‘Memory Enhancer of the Magister of the Tower,’ the ‘Former Empress’s Sapphire Necklace,’ and lastly, the ‘Liliane Crimson’s Set of 3 Advanced Magic Engineering Workbooks.’”
What?
“…My workbooks are really on the same level as a Magister or the Former Empress?”
I whispered cautiously to Logan, and his response was unbelievable.
“Of course. In the Academy, you’re practically a god.”
“…Hmm.”
I paused for a moment.
A god? Really?
Well, considering that Chancellor Rondel Rubens went so far as to invite me as a visiting professor—an almost reckless move—it made sense that it would be something like this.
“Now, the first item—”
The main items, of course, didn’t appear immediately. Some trivial antiques came out first.
They were probably trying to build the atmosphere slowly.
I tilted my glass while the bidding for uninteresting items continued, then whispered to Logan again.
“…Logi, I heard the Grand Duke Eleanor has returned. Is that right?”
Our diligent Logan answered fluently in the Empire’s language, despite my barrage of questions.
“Ah, yes. I suspected Lady Vice might already know. He returned three days ago.”
Logan nodded calmly.
Sylvia’s information had been correct.
The Grand Duke, absent from his house for a long time, had returned.
I had been waiting for this news as well.
‘I should talk to Logan about his academic path.’
Logan’s swordsmanship was already recognized by Enrique. He could probably join the knight order immediately.
“Then perhaps you should let the Grand Duke know that Liliane Crimson will be sending him a letter soon—”
Before I could finish speaking.
Bang!
A loud explosion shook the surroundings.
“……!”
Logan reflexively moved in front of me.
Thanks to him, I avoided inhaling most of the white dust that spread instantly.
What’s happening? I squinted toward the stage, only to see the main items being auctioned.
The ‘Memory Enhancer of the Magister of the Tower’ was in a glass box, and someone in scruffy clothing had taken control of the stage.
As people were thrown to the ground, he grinned with a scruffy, bearded face.
“W-With just this medicine….”
“Evacuate! This way!”
“Get out quickly!”
“Who is that guy! Grab him!”
It was a terrorist attack.
Several guards, including the auctioneer on the stage, had already been knocked down, and as other guards approached to subdue him, the man threw something.
“Approach carefully! He’s armed.”
“Be cautious!”
“G-G-get out! I-I… at the Discerne Academy… if I just had this…!”
Beep, beep, beep, boom! Boom!
Small bombs kept going off. The guards couldn’t subdue him easily.
“…Kyaaa!”
“Move out!”
Screams erupted all around, and the scruffy terrorist took advantage of the chaos to break the glass box and grab the items.
“…….”
I barely swallowed my scream, but I couldn’t stop my head from spinning.
More importantly:
Once I assessed the situation, I called Logan.
“Logan.”
We had to escape.
“Move carefully that way. It’s a terrorist attack. We need to get out.”
“…But, teacher—”
But what? There’s no time for buts.
Logan’s eyes wouldn’t leave the terrorist. Could it be…
“Logan Eleanor.”
I grabbed his shoulder firmly.
He clenched his lips and placed his hand on his sword hilt, his gaze fixed on me.
A motion reminiscent of Enrique’s, but I wasn’t afraid at all.
“No. Right now, escaping comes first. I won’t let you get hurt in a place like this.”
“…Yes.”
Even if Logan Eleanor’s skill matched that of knights, he was still only sixteen.
I couldn’t push him to handle a terrorist scene.
I led Logan toward the hallway.
The crowd surged, narrowing the passage.
Everyone instinctively knew the first priority was getting underground and away.
“Ugh!”
My hood was pushed off in the crush, but no one noticed in the chaos.
“Logan, this way. Hurry.”
“Teacher too—”
I blocked the way with a grimace, letting Logan go first.
Rumble, bang!
Cracks spread across the ceiling as it began to collapse.
A huge piece of debris fell directly above my head.
“……!”
I caught a glimpse of Logan’s shocked expression.
“I’m fine!”
I shouted and pushed him toward the exit.
Because…
*+: [Luck Skill Activated!] *+:
▶ Deduct 100 points
▶ Remaining points: 1700P
Having accumulated a ton of luck points while tutoring the murderous crown prince, my body rolled with a speed I couldn’t even believe.
Crash!
A massive stone fell right where I had been. I barely avoided it, but unfortunately, the direction I rolled was the opposite of the exit.
“Teacher…!”
Through the dust, I barely saw Logan being pushed along by the crowd and disappearing toward the exit.
Good. Now it’s just me.
“Hah. What on earth….”
I staggered to my feet and brushed my hair back.
Looking around, almost everyone had already fled.
Boom! Thud!
But so many falling rocks made it hard to reach the far-off exit.
What should I do….
Trying to remain calm, I noticed all three glass cases holding the main auction items were shattered.
…He stole all three?
Where does the terrorist plan to escape?
There must be a passage he’s using….
That’s where I should go.
As I looked around, something flew at me and hit my body.
“……?”
Beep.
This is…
Ding!
I remembered the blue projectile I had seen endlessly while teaching Enrique.
《Triggered by randomly thrown bombs》
*+: [Luck Skill: 100P earned!] *+:
“Ah.”
Insane.
Beep.
The spherical bomb bounced off me and rolled near my feet.
Beep. It was supposed to explode after five beeps.
Beep. I was probably going to die.
While reading the skill notification, four beeps went off in a flash.
What can I do in the remaining one beep?
‘Too many thoughts and I’m going to die.’
At that moment…
A large shadow blocked my way.
Thud!
I kicked the red bomb ready to explode, sending it flying far away.
The fifth beep rang as it flew.
Boom!
The bomb exploded. Stone decorations in the auction hall collapsed.
“…Hah, ha…”
I finally exhaled.
Who was that? Logan? Had he returned?
No, he was much bigger than Logan.
Who…
I lifted my trembling head and saw an unexpected figure looking down at me.
“…Enrique?”
I called his name without realizing.
Disheveled black hair. Blood-red eyes gleaming even in the dim light.
Amidst all the chaos and screams, his calm expression looked almost familiar, along with his strong physique and large hand gripping a sword. Even his skewed posture. Everything.
“Why are you just standing there like an idiot?”
It was Enrique Lucain Ignos, the person I knew.
