Raid The Academy

Chapter 247 : Chapter 247

Step, step.Here, a father and daughter, and one wolf cub are leaving the Mist Valley.

An awkward silence hovered between the two.

The daughter's expression was coldly sunken, so it was impossible to know what she was thinking, and the father hesitated while observing her mood.

Only the wolf cub, unaware of this atmosphere, was frisking about wagging its tail between the two.

Woof! Woof!

It was then.

The father, who was pondering what topic to bring up to break the awkwardness, seemed to have decided on a suitable subject and opened his mouth first.

"Those people just now. They don't seem like very bad people."

"......."

"I was half in doubt because I heard there were many people cheering for them even though they are villains. But I think I know why they said such things."

After opening his mouth like that, the father observed his daughter's reaction for a moment.

But it seemed he failed to draw any particular interest.

The daughter just nodded her head up and down indifferently.

She seemed to be lost in thought about something too.

Still, since he broke the awkwardness and opened the conversation with difficulty, the father continued speaking.

"Well, that they don't seem like bad people is purely my hunch too. Honestly, I still don't know the reason those people came here. I observed closely because they are villains quite famous in Icata, but there were no characteristics typical of villains either......."

At that moment, the daughter's eyes, which had been blank, focused clearly.

"Characteristics typical of villains?"

"Hm? Ah, right. Characteristics. There are characteristics seen only in evil humans."

Having finally drawn interest, the father continued speaking excitedly.

"Right. Not to brag, but when I was running the Green Circle, I met many such types of people. So looking at their eyes gives me a rough idea."

"Like what?"

"Hm. First, all villains are largely divided into two categories. The category with a purpose and the category without such a thing. First, for the former, most purposes are visible profits like money, artifacts, or strong bodies, and evil deeds inevitably follow in the process of obtaining them. Human experiments, research, illegal businesses, etc., are included here, and they don't choose means and methods for the result. So these people carry madness in their eyes. The obsession toward the purpose is expressed like that."

Just like the Green Circle of the past, the Beltus Cult, and Dr. Edric.

Actually, the majority of villains belonged to this category.

"But why didn't you know?"

"You mean Dr. Edric?"

"Yes."

At his daughter's question, the father smiled bitterly.

"......Why wouldn't I know. Of course I knew."

"Then why did you just sit back and take it?"

"Johnny brought him."

Johnny was like a younger brother he trusted and cherished the most.

As soon as he saw Dr. Edric, he felt ominousness, but he let it slide for Johnny's sake. Consoling himself that he had become older and needless worries increased.

However, the result was betrayal.

Eventually, his instinct was right, and he faced a heartbreaking ending.

"......."

Looking at her father's shadowed face, the daughter sighed lightly and changed the subject.

"Then what about the latter?"

"The latter? Ah! You mean in the case of villains without a purpose."

As his daughter showed continuous interest, the father smiled again as if asking when he was gloomy and continued the explanation.

"Case without a purpose. Actually, the really dangerous villains are those guys. These bastards commit evil deeds without reason. Killing because they don't like it, slaughtering because they are bored, committing arson or terror because they feel bad or just because. They are pure evils who cause trouble for reasons that don't even make sense. Their eyes? Generally, they are crazy and not normal."

"......."

"But they...... don't fall into either case. Their eyes aren't crazy, so it means they clearly have their own purpose like the former case, but madness isn't visible either, and I don't know what the purpose of this action is."

The daughter nodded unknowingly.

Actually, the topic she had been pondering until now was also related to that.

The two were Yuria and Ianco.

Having escaped Dr. Edric's scheme with help from Shadow, the two were descending to Roenberg City.

Actually, until just escaping the Iron Tree Forest a moment ago, Ianco was in a state of high tension.

Because, as mentioned before, he couldn't distinguish at all what Shadow's purpose was.

'Punishment of the Green Circle? Or elimination of Dr. Edric?'

He couldn't know exactly, but it was a certain fact that they were in a hostile relationship with the Academy.

Furthermore, since they seemed acquainted with Yuria, he judged they wouldn't just let them go.

And this was a perfectly natural and rational conjecture.

From Shadow's perspective, Yuria would be a potential threat. Eliminating the bud in advance is a reasonable action from their standpoint.

Helping them might have been incidental, so it was unknown when they would change their attitude and attack.

'But it was a misconception.'

They really took no measures.

After chatting about this and that with Yuria, they really let them go just like that.

He felt like a fool for devising countermeasures alone in his head, thinking 'Do I have to sacrifice myself again to save Yuria' while being extremely tense.

Why did they let Yuria, who is clearly an enemy, and one who is certain to become a big obstacle later, go alive?

And how did they happen to come all the way here to the south?

"Could they have received a request from someone to eliminate the Green Circle or Dr. Edric?"

"That probably isn't it. If it's someone who entrusted a request to Shadow, it would be a figure of the Frey Empire, but aren't we far from the Frey Empire? It's been three months since we entered Southern Frey, and in that short time, we haven't done anything to buy a grudge from anyone. Dr. Edric would be the same."

In the first place, Lorenz Edric was a civilian for whom no warrant had been issued by the City Guard Office.

It was because he wasn't experimenting on humans but was crazy about spirit beasts, so his evil deeds were not known to the public.

As a result, the two's conjectures ended without any particular conclusion.

But that doesn't mean it was completely meaningless.

Because the wall of awkwardness that existed between the two completely disappeared.

"No matter how I think, there is only you, Yuria."

To the extent of throwing a light joke like this.

"What is?"

"The purpose of those thieves. Eliminating villains for world peace probably isn't the purpose. Since they let us go safely, it's not like they came to harm you, but if that's not it, what remains would be the opposite. Rescue. They came to save you."

Yuria flinched.

"Haha. Why are you surprised? It is a joke, a joke."

Saying so, Ianco burst into hearty laughter, but Yuria’s expression didn't smooth out easily.

Because she also wondered if Shadow's purpose was herself.

Actually, this conjecture had continued since parting with them.

This was also why Yuria was pondering seriously.

'Why...... Do I keep thinking of Senior Gerard when I see him?'

It was so.

Watching Skull Mask fight, Yuria kept feeling an incomprehensible déjà vu, and as soon as she realized the identity of that déjà vu, she fell into massive confusion.

On top of that, Professor Evan’s appearance was like pouring oil on that confusion.

Although she denied and denied it to herself saying it was nonsensical, her mouth was spitting that conjecture out before she knew it.

'By any chance, are you a person of the Academy?'

That was a thoroughly impulsive action.

To the extent that she was startled right after spitting out the question, retracted the question, and avoided the spot.

However, speaking differently, it meant it was that important and sensitive topic to Yuria.

'So I must be agonizing with a headache until now. Even knowing it is a nonsensical conjecture.'

Right. Let's forget it, forget.

Yuria, who didn't want to tarnish the reputation of Gerard and the Academy simultaneously, shook her head vigorously and forcibly erased that conjecture from her head.

Thanks to that, Ianco shouted in surprise.

"Uh-uh? Why suddenly like that! Is something wrong!?"

"No. Just a little headache. I am okay now."

Before they knew it, the two arrived in Roenberg City and immediately sought a hospital located downtown for treatment.

The treatment didn't take long.

Fortunately, the burns from the explosion were mild, and regarding the poisoning, whether thanks to the Divine Beast's power or because the poison was weak, it recovered naturally enough to operate mana circuits as time passed.

In Ianco’s case, although his wounds were more severe than Yuria’s, he said he had work to do and left the hospital following Yuria immediately.

"Will you really be okay?"

"Of course. A wound of this degree heals by itself if I eat rice. It is nothing."

Ianco shouted loudly and tapped his shoulder wrapped in bandages.

"And I have to do what I forgot too."

"What you forgot?"

"Yes. Those guys. I should still send them off properly."

Seeing Ianco’s reddened eyes, Yuria immediately realized whom 'those guys' referred to.

The Ianco Mercenaries.

He was recalling Johnny and others who lived together since the past.

"Earlier I couldn't pay attention because of the thieves. If left like this, it will be an uncomfortable journey due to beasts overnight."

"......."

"Although it went awry like this due to wrong choices, still, they were family members as precious as family in the past. I think I should send them off comfortably on their last journey."

Saying that it was the duty and principle of a Captain who was responsible for the Ianco Mercenaries, albeit lacking, for a time.

Ianco smirked as he said that.

"......I will go with you too."

"Hm? Just me is enough. You don't have to. And didn't you say the semester starts soon? You should go up quickly and prepare for the second semester."

"It is okay. It doesn't matter even if I'm late by about a day."

"......Stubborn as always."

But contrary to his words, Ianco didn't seem to dislike it that much.

Rather, he liked it.

"Then let's go quickly! Johnny must be waiting!"

Like that, the two climbed the mountain range again, retracing the path they had escaped with difficulty.

Entering the Mist Valley of the Ludain Mountain Range and following the hidden side path to enter the Iron Tree Forest.

On the way, they shared this and that chat.

Resolving past misunderstandings and bottled-up feelings.

The two, with awkwardness completely gone, now looked like a proper father and daughter.

"So what will you do now, Dad?"

"Hm. I haven't thought about it. I just want to rest, but that is also difficult. There is no proper place to rest."

"......You don't have a home?"

"Where would guys like us have a home? Huhu."

Actually, he did have a home.

In his hometown where he originally operated, the Southern Neutral Countries.

But returning there was an act practically no different from walking into a deadly land on his own.

Because it is obvious that the Naimus Empire will dispatch personnel to investigate Dr. Edric’s death.

Yuria was also inwardly guessing that situation.

So she asked.

"What about money?"

"Money? There is a little gathered from catching magical beasts here, but why ask that suddenly?"

"I have some too. From receiving reward money and bounty hunting."

'Oh really?' Ianco was surprised.

"So?"

"Come with me. To Icata. If it is there, even the Naimus Empire won't be able to do anything."

"......."

"Settle down anew in Icata. I will help you too."

Saying that, Yuria walked fast forward for no reason.

"Uh? Go together, Bandal."

Bandal, who had been walking in step next to Yuria, tilted his head at Yuria’s words and followed Yuria.

"That girl."

A warm smile hung on Ianco’s lips watching that scene.

He felt Yuria’s heart thinking of and considering him, so he was very grateful.

"......Dad?"

It was then.

Yuria, who was going ahead, suddenly stopped walking and called him.

Sensing an unusual atmosphere in her voice, Ianco hurriedly ran to where she was and asked.

"Why, Yuria. What happened......."

And.

Ianco, who arrived there, also stiffened in place with the same expression as her.

"Th, this is......."

At the panorama unfolded before his eyes, Ianco stuttered.

The corpses that should have been there, filled with numerous mercenaries' bodies, were not there.

Instead.

One large burial mound stood tall.

"......."

Ianco opened and closed his mouth.

Even without racking his brain, he could guess who was doing it.

"Only now do I know, Yuria. What the purpose of those thieves is. What they pursue."

"......Yes?"

"I guess. World peace seems to be correct."

Wondering if he was serious, Yuria glanced at Ianco.

"What does that mean suddenly?"

"Anyway, it is not a villain organization. Absolutely not. Indeed. It can't be."

Ianco’s expression, mumbling and admiring alone, was endlessly solemn and serious.

"......."