CHAPTER 57
Heukrang warned Idnia, but at that moment, water spirits appeared around him.
They had been summoned by the Scarlet Pimpernel agent, and they began attacking Heukrang.
“Heukrang?!”
At the same time, the Scarlet Pimpernel agent’s sword started to move.
“Damn it!”
The Mazdari attendants who had been watching clenched their eyes shut.
It was too late to intervene—Idnia was already under attack by the Scarlet Pimpernel agent.
Even in this situation, the Papal agents didn’t move.
“Damn those Papal bastards. Are they just watching because it would be easier to pressure the Dynaise Academy if the duke’s daughter dies or gets injured?”
“If something happens to the Duke’s daughter, Lord Lorenzo is going to be furious!”
“Wasn’t she even a candidate for saintess? Why are the Papal guys so cold? Damn it, it’s too late now!”
Everyone was convinced that Idnia wouldn’t be able to handle the assassin and would either be seriously hurt or killed.
But then…
“Huh?”
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swirled around Idnia.
Her cloak—part of the Academy uniform—fluttered violently, and for a moment, it seemed like her body had grown larger.
The Scarlet Pimpernel assassin stumbled backward, flailing, while Idnia stood firm and unharmed.
Heukrang easily sliced down the water spirits with only his two daggers, blocking the enemy’s retreat.
And then—
“Idnia!?”
From the road near the inn, a young nobleman came running with armed followers.
It was Karl Gustav, the prince of the northern Ansbach Principality.
“Oh, it’s Prince Karl!”
“Let’s go too! It’s okay to step in now, right?!”
The Mazdari attendants who had been watching grabbed their weapons and looked for confirmation from the Papal agents.
“Well, now that Prince Karl is involved…”
But even without waiting for a reply, they rushed out.
People of reason deeply respected the Duke of Betelgeuse, who had fought the Demon King and whose lands had been devastated as a result.
So with the duke’s daughter in danger, they rushed in to help.
As Karl’s men and the Mazdari attendants poured out into the street, the Scarlet Pimpernel assassin tried to escape.
But Heukrang blocked his path.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
The assassin raised his wand—
“Heukrang! Watch out!”
Idnia shouted a warning, but something was off about the direction of the spell.
“W-wait! Commander?!”
The female archer with the broken arm panicked, but the assassin’s wand glowed and fired a burst of transparent sparkling dust.
The dust shot toward the two thugs that Heukrang had knocked out.
“What?! He’s silencing them!”
The Mazdari attendants recoiled in horror at the ruthlessness of the act.
Sure, they were probably just random thugs pulled in from nearby, but to kill them so easily?
However, the glowing dust merely sparkled upon hitting them.
“It’s a memory-erasure spell!”
The Papal agents recognized it and clicked their tongues.
Memory-erasing magic isn’t normally that simple—especially during combat.
But if the targets had already consented to a magical contract, the memory-erasure could be activated instantly by the caster.
This meant the Scarlet Pimpernel agent had them sign a contract when he recruited them, and once his mission failed, he triggered the spell to erase their memories.
A meticulous plan indeed.
Then, the Scarlet Pimpernel agent cast another lightning spell to hold back Heukrang, Karl, and the others, leaped over a wall, and vanished.
“Are you okay, Idnia?!”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Idnia gave a faint smile as she looked at Karl approaching with concern.
“Shall I send a squad to chase him?”
“No. He’s no ordinary opponent. If we chase recklessly, someone could get hurt.”
Karl gave a sharp judgment and turned to Idnia again.
“You’re not hurt?”
“No, thanks to your concern.”
“For now, let’s get you back to your lodging. Damn it—strange people, right under the Academy’s nose? Must be Mazdari’s doing.”
“Excuse me, but that’s a little offensive.”
“We were trying to help Lady Idnia too.”
“Help? You mean you were watching. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice all this.”
Karl’s sarcasm silenced the Mazdari attendants.
They had, after all, been watching because of the Papal agents’ restraint.
“Southern dandies always act like this. But I’ll admit—the food was good and the lodging was clean. That’s something.”
Karl escorted Idnia with his men, and she accepted his kindness, walking back to the inn with him.
Outside Black Cow Village, in the marshes beneath the cliffs of the Academy
A man wandered through the wetlands. Eventually, he stopped and cast a spell.
The illusion was broken, revealing a hidden hut.
He entered and cast another illusion to hide it again.
It was the Scarlet Pimpernel agent who had just fled the village.
“Ugh…”
He was injured.
“That girl… she’s no ordinary person.”
He had great confidence in his phantom sword technique—approaching under the veil of illusion and striking fatally using his wand and blade simultaneously.
Even if the opponent noticed, the weapon he wielded was Man-Eater—a cursed magic sword created by criminal mages expelled from the Academy.
A scratch from it causes infection, eventually leading to death.
Confident in his victory, he had attacked Idnia.
But suddenly, her body had seemed to grow.
She had temporarily unleashed her Tyrant’s Spirit.
Clang!
Idnia had blocked Man-Eater with her magically reinforced iron wand and punched with her other hand.
It wasn’t an illusion! Her reach actually extended?!
He barely dodged, but her fist grazed his face.
Crack!
His mask shattered. Blood splattered.
Ugh!?
His vision spun.
“You dodged it? Impressive.”
Idnia, now back to her normal form, praised him.
“I’ve never had to strike twice at the same enemy before…”
He tried to fight back, but both his wand and sword were trembling uncontrollably.
Damn… I’m going to die here… to a first-year student?!
But then, Idnia’s hand stopped.
She saw Karl rushing toward them. And from behind, Mazdari agents appeared.
So many people suddenly around—using her Tyrant’s Spirit again might not be wise.
The assassin didn’t miss that moment of hesitation.
He regained focus, cast a spell, and escaped with all his strength.
“I got away… but this injury is serious.”
The duke’s daughter had monstrous power in her fists—enough to kill a bear with one hit. Even a graze caused a concussion.
He drank a painkiller potion enhanced with magic. The pain faded, but his body was still a mess.
“Damn it. What a disgrace.”
He lay down in his hidden shelter and cast healing magic.
“Ugh…”
Healing while wounded was painful, even with the enhanced painkiller.
The magic, pain, exhaustion, and mana depletion overwhelmed him.
“My head’s spinning… I need sleep…”
He closed his eyes.
Shing.
A blade touched his neck.
“Don’t move, Scarlet Pimpernel. Unlike my noble master, I don’t mind blood.”
It was Heukrang, the boy of the Sacred Beast Tribe.
The assassin didn’t resist. If Heukrang meant to kill him, he would’ve done it while he slept.
He rolled his eyes to look around.
The sky was still dark—pre-dawn.
A girl stood behind him, her silhouette casting a massive shadow. She looked like a grizzly bear with flowing blonde hair and giant fists—the same fists that nearly killed him.
Backlit, she stood like an empress.
And strangely…
She’s strong and beautiful. No—beautiful because she’s strong. Like a scene from a holy painting.
He was in awe of her majestic presence.
“Lady Idnia of Betelgeuse, huh? Remarkable. That’s no transformation spell… how do you change your form like that?”
“You’re not the one who should be asking questions,” Heukrang growled, pressing his blade harder.
“Enough, Heukrang. Threatening a man ready to die is pointless. Put your sword away.”
“But…”
“He’s within my range. If he does anything suspicious, I’ll finish him myself.”
Having tasted her fist, the assassin knew she wasn’t joking.
Even a graze had done that much. A direct hit would have torn him apart.
“…Fine. I’ve given up on escaping. So, what do you want from me?”
“I want to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
“An offer? From the Lady of Betelgeuse?”
“Yes.”
Heukrang looked shocked.
“Wait, master. Scarlet Pimpernel is an unpredictable group of villains. Making deals with them could ruin your reputation—especially as a noble—”
“It’s fine. I’m not joining Scarlet Pimpernel. I’m making a deal not with the entire group—just this one commander.”
The assassin chuckled.
“Lady, I’m impressed. Your skill, courage, and tracking ability don’t match your age.”
“But you should hand me over. I won’t betray my organization.”
“This deal doesn’t require betrayal.”
“Oh? You’re serious? We’re a thieves’ guild, and those who bear the Scarlet Pimpernel name are assassins—the finest criminals. You and I are like oil and water.”
“So it was a direct order from your Guildmaster to come to the Academy, wasn’t it?”
“… …”
“No need to deny it. I already know.”
Idnia smiled confidently.
“My name is Farinelli. So, Lady Idnia, what is it you want from me?”
The Scarlet Pimpernel agent, Farinelli, seemed ready to hear her out.
