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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Professor Sergei has left the campus.”
A low voice echoed through the darkened lecture hall, where figures cloaked in black hoods gathered.
“Where did he go?”
“We don’t know his exact destination, but intelligence reports indicate he has left the capital. He won’t be back for at least an hour.”
This signaled the start of their operation.
A trap had been laid outside the capital, waiting for anyone investigating the attack on the Imperial University. Sergei, cooperating with the Imperial Police, would undoubtedly be heading straight for it.
Sergei, the Empire’s strongest warrior, second only to the Imperial Sword, was away from the university.
This was a rare opportunity.
“Brothers, this is our one and only chance. We won’t be able to escape after this. Everyone here will die. If you’re not prepared for that, leave now.”
“…”
Silence.
None of the hooded figures moved.
‘Damn it… Should I leave?’
Sergei’s assistant trembled, his heart pounding. He wanted to leave, but he was trapped in the center of the group. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself.
‘Ah!’
He spotted a hooded figure quietly slipping out of the lecture hall. No one else seemed to notice. Such stealth… whoever it was, he was impressed.
“Let us proceed! Follow me!”
“Yes!”
The sudden surge of energy and excitement made him miss his chance. He was swept along by the crowd, towards the creature that would bring ruin to the Imperial University.
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Caw… Caw…
“Huh?”
Erica looked up at the sound. A massive flock of ravens filled the sky, so dense that they blocked out the sun. They seemed to be coming from the mountains behind the university.
She had never seen such a large flock before.
“Is it an earthquake?”
She had heard that animals often behaved strangely before natural disasters.
She swallowed nervously and hurried towards the dormitory. There was an expert on future events she could consult.
“Iris! Open the door!”
She pounded on the door, her foot tapping impatiently. It was too quiet inside.
Had Iris foreseen the danger and fled?
‘No, that’s impossible.’
Iris was a Saintess. She would never abandon others to save herself.
“Erica? What is it?”
“Ah!”
The door opened, revealing Iris in casual clothes. She wasn’t wearing her Saintess attire. It meant she wasn’t planning on leaving the dormitory anytime soon.
It also meant that nothing bad was going to happen at the university. At least, that was what Erica had thought.
“Are you coming in or not? I want to close the door.”
“Why not come out and show off your outfit to the others… Ah! Sorry! I’ll come in! I’m coming in!”
Erica quickly slipped inside before Iris could close the door. She wondered why Iris was so reluctant to show off her casual clothes. They looked good on her.
There were no signs of packing. Iris wasn’t planning on leaving.
“Phew. That’s a relief.”
“What’s wrong, Erica?”
“Nothing. I think I overreacted. I saw a flock of ravens… a huge flock. They filled the entire sky. I thought it might be a sign of some kind of disaster.”
“Hmm…”
“I’m just being paranoid, right?”
“…”
“Why… aren’t you answering, Iris…?”
Erica stared at Iris, who was standing there with a gentle smile, and felt a sense of unease. Iris had seen something. Something bad was going to happen.
“What’s going to happen?”
“That’s strange. In the future I saw, you didn’t know anything. I wonder what changed.”
“What is it? Tell me, Iris.”
“Sigh… I suppose I have no choice. Can I see your arm?”
“Huh?”
Iris, now sitting on the bed, held out her hand. Confused, Erica sat beside her and offered her arm. Iris traced the lines on Erica’s palm with her finger.
“Do you know the difference between internal and external circuits?”
“Of course. External circuits are for magic, and internal circuits are for enhancing physical abilities.”
“That’s right. Internal circuits are located within our bodies. Do you know where the core of the internal circuit is located?”
“Hmm… I don’t know.”
Erica, who rarely used her internal circuits, tilted her head. She had given up on training them a long time ago. They only seemed to drain her mana and tire her out quickly.
She hadn’t been born with good circuits.
“Ouch!”
She felt a sharp prick on her finger. A small drop of blood welled up on her middle finger. She was startled, but she didn’t pull her hand away. She knew Iris hadn’t done it on purpose.
It hadn’t hurt much.
“Internal circuits are connected to the body’s blood vessels. Mana flows through the blood vessels to the circuits throughout the body, and that mana powers the internal circuits.”
Iris touched the wound on Erica’s finger with her own. Erica felt a slight tingling sensation.
She was about to ask what Iris was doing when she decided to wait for an explanation.
“Now, do you know the answer to my question?”
“Uh… what was the question?”
“Where is the core of the internal circuit located?”
“Ah! I know! The heart, right?”
“That’s right.”
Everyone knew that the heart pumped blood throughout the body. If the blood vessels were the circuits, and mana flowed through the blood, then the core had to be the heart.
“Internal circuits are similar to external circuits in many ways. They both have a core, and they can both be interfered with.”
“Huh? I thought internal circuits couldn’t be interfered with.”
“Normally, they can’t. But if someone directly accesses the circuit and takes control of the core…”
“Huh?”
Erica suddenly felt weak and slumped against the bed. So that was what Iris was talking about.
“This is how internal circuits can be controlled by others. It seems you don’t know how to resist internal circuit interference. That made it easy. Experienced knights unconsciously resist even while sleeping, making it impossible to take control of their circuits.”
“Ugh… I see. I’ve learned something new. Now, can you undo this?”
“…”
Iris simply smiled.
Erica realized something was wrong.
“Erica, I’m sorry. This is very dangerous.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I have to eliminate anyone who deviates from the future I saw. It reduces the number of variables.”
“W-Wait. You’re not going to leave me like this, are you?”
“It will only last for half a day. You’ll be able to move again after a nap.”
“Hey! Iris! You can’t do this!”
Iris put on her Saintess attire and left the room. Erica’s shouts were met with silence.
She wondered if her voice was even reaching the hallway.
There was probably a soundproofing barrier. Iris was meticulous. She would have thought of that.
“Haaa! What is going on?!”
Erica struggled, but her body wouldn’t move. She felt like she was pinned down by a heavy weight.
Something dangerous was going to happen. And the fact that Iris had incapacitated her meant that she would either be useless…
“Am I just a burden?”
…or a hindrance.
If so, then staying here was the best way to help Iris. Even if she didn’t know what was happening.
“No! I hate being helpless like this!”
If she did nothing, she wouldn’t be a burden. But she hated the thought of lying here, unaware of what was happening outside.
She struggled against the oppressive weight, recalling Iris’s brief lesson.
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