The next morning...
Leina, Victor, Jason, and rlin stood before the walls of Dunvale.
"Let’s go," Leina said.
Victor clapped his hands, and instantly a giant bird, several ters long—the sa one that had carried them before—appeared in the sky.
Leina, Jason, Victor, and rlin leapt onto its back. The bird flapped its wings and soared high into the air.
"By the way, I’m curious about sothing," rlin said, glancing at Leina, Jason, and Victor. "What happened to the mayor of Dunvale? Did you find any trace of him?"
Since the Dark Tunnel Organization had been destroyed, the mayor, Ludric, had fled.
rlin didn’t know how Ludric had learned of the organization’s defeat, but he didn’t want to let the man escape.
Ludric had been one of the main causes of chaos in Helvar—he needed to be dealt with.
"You an Ludric? Don’t worry—he won’t escape," Victor said, pressing the center of his glasses. "I planted my bugs inside him. Right now, he should be writhing in the cruelest tornt."
A thin, rciless smile curved his lips.
rlin, Jason, and Leina shuddered. That smile was terrifying—and for those who knew Victor, it was the first ti they had seen him like this.
"Ah... good. Glad to hear it," rlin muttered awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.
If Victor said so, it had to be true. He was just curious about how the fake Ludric had died.
It must have been... agonizing.
...
"Hah... hah... hah... I actually managed to escape that city!"
In the middle of the dense forest, a middle-aged man panted heavily. His face was pale, as if he had just narrowly escaped death.
He glanced behind him and felt a wave of relief—no one was chasing him.
"Lucky... they didn’t find . I really am blessed," he whispered, still catching his breath.
Once he had steadied himself, he moved forward and spotted a stream of clear water just a couple of ters away.
Without hesitation, he bent down, scooped water in both hands, and drank greedily.
The refreshing coolness coursing through him brought an involuntary smile to his face.
"But they are far too strong. The Dark Tunnel Organization, which had seed unstoppable, was utterly defeated by them. This... this outco is completely unexpected," he muttered, gritting his teeth in anger.
He was the fake Ludric, the man who had posed as Dunvale’s mayor.
His placent in the city had been intended to turn it into a second site for the sacrifice ritual.
But unexpectedly, the Dark Tunnel’s plan—so flawless in theory—had been completely shattered.
Now, he was nothing more than a stray dog, abandoned and useless.
"It’s fine... it’s fine. I have the skills the other evil organizations want. I’ll be accepted... I know I will," he told himself.
Taking a deep breath, he splashed water on his face and was about to stand when sothing suddenly caught his attention.
A black, bug-like beetle crawled onto his ear.
He frowned and brushed it away. But strangely, two more beetles appeared in the sa spot.
He swatted them off, yet more kept appearing, multiplying with every motion.
"Argh!" he howled in panic, terrified. He fought desperately to kill them, but they only grew in number.
"Let go! Leave alone! Argh!"
His body wobbled uncontrollably, and he tumbled into the stream before him.
The black beetles sward, countless in number.
"No!"
Agonizing pain ripped through him, as if the beetles were devouring his skin and flesh alive.
Blood stread from his nose, ears, and the corners of his eyes, but that only seed to fuel their frenzy.
Eventually, Ludric’s body was slowly consud from the outside in.
He tried to scream, but the beetles forced their way into his throat, gnawing at him from within.
In the middle of a desolate forest, with no one within tens of kiloters, the fake Ludric t a miserable, grueso end.
...
Whoosh!
The giant bird carrying rlin, Leina, Victor, and Jason finally arrived at the academy.
The return journey had been short—just a single day.
The bird landed precisely in front of the headmaster’s office. The area was silent, students were nowhere to be seen, and only a few professors were passing by.
rlin, Leina, Jason, and Victor jumped down from the bird’s back.
Victor approached it and stroked its head affectionately.
"Go back to your place. Tomorrow, I’ll bring you plenty of fresh at as a gift," he said.
Krrk!
The bird wriggled playfully, almost as if it were smiling, then flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
"Jason, Victor—head back to your dormitory. I’ll report our mission to the Academy Head," Leina said calmly.
Jason opened his mouth to protest but, seeing her stern expression, swallowed his words.
"Okay... thank you, Leina."
"Thank you, Leina," Victor added, relief evident on his face.
He was exhausted. His body hadn’t fully recovered, and he still needed to go to Leona’s place to get a proper healing potion.
Leina smiled and nodded slightly.
After the two left, she turned to rlin. "Do you want to co with to the head academy’s office?"
rlin nodded. "Of course, Auntie. I have to report to my master anyway."
Leina didn’t object. Together, they walked toward the large office building ahead.
***
"Hmmm..."
In her office, Linda humd softly as she stacked docunts in front of her.
A mont later, she set down her quill and stretched her stiff body.
"I’m so tired... If only rlin were here, I could ask him to give a massage," she murmured, a faint trace of sadness in her voice.
Sotis, she called her beloved disciple to her office—not for important reports, but to help with her work or simply to give her a massage.
At first, it had been just to tease rlin. But it turned out he was smart—or rather, very smart.
His brilliant ideas, like managing the academy’s expenses, had been a real help to her.
"If I’m not mistaken, rlin and the others should be back today, right?"
She rubbed her chin, eyes fixed on the door with anticipation.
Just then, footsteps echoed outside. Linda’s eyes brightened.
Without a second thought, she rose and hurried to the door. As it opened, rlin appeared, and she imdiately wrapped him in a hug.
"You’re finally back, rlin! I missed you so much!"
rlin froze for a mont, his face pressed against her big, soft chest.
Then, he quickly regained his composure and coughed awkwardly.
"Ahem... Master, could you... let go of ?"
Linda pouted. "What’s wrong? Didn’t you miss ?"
She loosened her hold slightly, glaring at rlin with a look of playful dissatisfaction.
"It’s not that, but..." rlin glanced sideways at her, giving a subtle signal.
Linda followed his gaze, and her expression froze.
"Leina!?"
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