Chapter 26: The Eye of the Storm Part 4

Saintess Tillis.

She was the only living High Elf and a spirit mage.

However, contrary to the seemingly benevolent title of “saintess”, she was a rather radical and unconventional figure.

Just hearing her nickname “Saintess of the Slums”, one might imagine her tending to the weak like an angel, but…

“I’ve taken care of 32 gangs and 68 demons so far.”

She had simply swept away the criminal organizations that were rotting the slums from within.

Solving the root of the problem!

She didn’t treat the sick and suffering. She eradicated the cause.

That’s right.

“So, shall we start with a sparring match right away?”

Her invitation to the Cradle had nothing to do with character education stemming from her personality, but rather because of her combat abilities.

Saintess Tillis, with a face as beautiful as an angel’s, declared she would spread not faith but violence.

“Wow……”

Ariel who attended Tillis’s class was in awe.

It was a breathtaking sight.

The spirit summoned by Saintess Tillis was buried in dozens of pure white wings. It resembled an angel from a legend.

Ariel quickly realized that the title of “saintess” wasn’t given solely because of Tillis’s personality or appearance.

Anyone who saw that seemingly divine image would’ve thought the same.

“Which student would you like to start with?”

“M-May I try?”

“What is your name, student?”

“I’m Ariel… Ether.”

“Oh my, you’re from House Ether. I look forward to it.”

Ariel Ether gripped her staff tightly and prepared for battle.

***

“So, you came to the alchemy workshop? Not to spy on me?”

“Sir Johan, just what do you think of me?”

“Well… aren’t you my creditor?”

I half-ignored Ariel as I tried altering the potion’s formula.

Hmm… this wasn’t it either.

With that last batch, I had just blown through half a year’s worth of our territory’s income.

A common occurrence, really.

“Um, if you’ve figured out what I’m here for, could you give me the potions now?”

“Do you think the alchemy workshop is some kind of potion storage service?”

“Considering how much money I’ve invested here, isn’t it basically the same?”

“That sounds like something you should be telling Professor Georg.”

“Well, he’s not here right now, so I’m telling you, Sir Johan!”

“You’re really persistent, aren’t you?”

Figuring she’d keep pestering me unless I handed over the potion, I begrudgingly flipped through the ledger and checked the amount Ariel had deposited in the workshop.

“Hmm, you got scammed.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Mana potions and a healing potion, right?”

“……”

Well, it’s not my fault you got ripped off. Still, it’s impressive how even Professor Georg managed to con someone from the Ether Duchy. What on earth made him think of pulling that off?

Ignoring Ariel’s disgruntled expression, I grabbed one healing potion and five mana potions from the shelf and handed them to her.

“Aren’t you going to explain how to use them?”

“It’s not like this is your first time drinking them. Do I really need to explain?”

“Yes, please do.”

Was she just trying to annoy me?

Or was this another one of her forced attempts to get closer to me?

Hmm, realistically speaking, Ariel had no reason to want to get closer to me, so it was probably just that she didn’t like my attitude and was looking for something to nitpick.

“If you apply the healing potion to a wound, it should slowly heal. If it’s internal damage, you can drink it instead. As for the mana potion, just drink it.”

In either case, it wouldn’t lead to complete recovery. If that were possible, doctors would be out of a job.

A healing potion was more like a supplement that aided recovery.

Mana potions, at least, were infused with high-grade elixirs, so they gradually restored mana. That also made them quite expensive.

The fact that Ariel was about to drink five of them made it clear that the amount of mana she carried wasn’t ordinary.

I didn’t even need half a bottle.

Most people would buy a single bottle, stash it away, and take a sip only when absolutely necessary.

That’s how costly and effective they were.

“Excuse me, Sir Johan.”

Ariel frowned as she gulped down the mana potions one after another. She clutched a bottle and asked.

It must have tasted awful.

The way she kept talking to me for no reason clearly meant she really didn’t want to drink it.

“Sir Johan?”

“What now? Can’t you see I’m busy? You know exactly what I’m working on right now.”

I’m doing all this to save your life. So why are you getting in the way?

“You’re so cold. I thought we’d gotten a little closer, at least.”

“We have? I really don’t know where you’re getting that impression.”

Honestly.

I’ve said all sorts of things to make her back off, so why would she feel close to me?

Was that her thing or something?

“You’re the only person who knows my secret, after all.”

Ariel’s eyes sparkled.

Hah… she really was a bothersome person.

It was hard to just scoff at her words when you think about the weight they carry.

“So, what exactly is it you want to talk to me about?”

Let’s just play along for a bit.

We’ve come too far for me to pretend Ariel Ether is just a stranger.

“What do you think of the Saintess, Sir Johan?”

“She’s crazy.”

“Wh-What are you saying?!”

Ariel shrieked.

They say people curse the king when no one’s listening, and here she was, throwing a fit just because I insulted Tillis.

Did she take too many hits during today’s sparring?

For someone who did, one healing potion seemed to be enough, though.

“The Saintess is an amazing person.”

“Did you take a bad hit?”

When you’re not sure, it’s better to ask directly than to let it stew.

“N-Not that bad… Just a little.”

“Ah, should I have given you another potion?”

“It’s fine. I had some before, but it wasn’t enough, so I came to the workshop for more.”

“I see.”

Well, it’s only natural that Ariel couldn’t beat Tillis.

Actually, it wasn’t just Ariel.

No one in the Cradle could beat her.

Not even Olga Hermod.

In the entire Empire, the number of people who might stand a chance against her… hmm, probably fewer than five.

“Anyway, the Saintess was ridiculously strong. Even Her Highness couldn’t lift a finger against her.”

“I see.”

Not that I was particularly impressed.

In the first place, at the point when Ariel had taken this much of a beating, I didn’t think Lobelia could have possibly defeated Tillis.

At the moment, Ariel was stronger than Lobelia.

Who knows how things would turn out after some time had passed, though.

I had never seen Ariel’s future, so I wasn’t sure. Wasn’t this around the time she died in the original story?

“How about Sir Johan goes and ask for a sparring match?”

“Me? That’s crazy.”

“I ended up like this, sure, but the Saintess’s sparring was actually effective. She pointed out my weak spots and gave me advice on how to make the most of my strengths.”

It seemed Ariel genuinely wanted me to grow stronger.

Was she crazy? I was over here struggling to create a potion that might save her life, and she was acting like she had all the time in the world.

Or maybe… she didn’t have any expectations for me?

“I’m already well aware of my strengths and weaknesses, so I’m fine.”

“And also, you’re really pretty.”

“Ah, yes. Of course I am.”

Ariel tilted her head in confusion.

Apparently, quite a few people had gone just to watch Tillis.

I couldn’t understand the idea of going to see her in the first place.

To me, Tillis was nothing but a threat.

In a sense, she might even be more dangerous than Kult.

“Hmm…?”

While randomly sorting and combining the solutions, I suddenly realized the most important ingredient had run out. Without it, the experiment couldn’t even proceed.

“You really should restock these on time.”

There was no helping it.

At the moment, the only ones in the alchemy workshop were the freshmen and me.

Most of the original alchemy students had quit. They probably couldn’t endure the burnout from last year’s overwork.

I understood. I would’ve been the same.

Anyway, to get to the point, I had to go outside to replenish this ingredient.

“Lady Ariel, are you free at the moment?”

“Huh? Me? Uh… why?”

“I have to step out for a bit. Would you mind accompanying me as a guard?”

“…I don’t mind, but did you just say you’re going outside the Cradle?”

“Well, what, do you think I’m going to live my whole life in the Cradle? People need to get some fresh air now and then.”

“That’s true, but… Sir Johan, you’ve said multiple times that you intended to graduate without ever leaving the Cradle.”

“That was just a mindset. If it’s necessary, I have to go. What else can I do?”

To be honest, just like Ariel said, I had no intention of leaving the Cradle unless something serious happened.

But that only held true under the assumption that the Cradle was a safe zone.

Right now, the Cradle wasn’t safe.

The moment a single person entered, the Cradle became just as dangerous as the outside world.

Tillis had a lot of enemies.

Of course she did. She used to sweep through the back alleys. There had to be people who held grudges.

And her being as rare as a High Elf, combined with her beautiful appearance, gave plenty of people reason to target her.

“And with you by my side, Lady Ariel, wouldn’t I be safe?”

“I didn’t know you thought so highly of me.”

In my personal opinion, Tillis was more dangerous than Kult.

If Kult represented an unprecedented kind of terror, then Tillis was a clear and present threat by her very existence.

Being close to her was the most dangerous thing of all.

“So, what will you do? Just so you know, the experiment I’ve been working on day and night is for a cure for Lady Ariel.”

“You don’t have to make me feel guilty. I already know. I’m not exactly free, but I’ll help you.”

“Thank you. Let’s get started right away. It shouldn’t take too long.”

***

I stepped outside the Cradle with Ariel right away.

I never imagined I’d be walking out so casually like this.

What a strange thing.

I used to be afraid I might die the moment I left the Cradle, but now I actually feel a sense of liberation.

“Sir Johan.”

“Yes, Lady Ariel. If you’re craving ice cream, maybe on the way back…”

“We’re under attack.”

“…Already?”

“Seems like it.”

I had a feeling something might happen, but still—this is way too fast.

It hasn’t even been ten minutes since we left the Cradle.

If we ran full speed from here, it’d take about three minutes to get back. Who the hell is the idiot pulling an ambush like this…

“What’s that?”

I turned to where Ariel was pointing. I couldn’t see anything at first, but when I focused, I finally caught sight of the attacker.

Psshhhhhh!

A powerful jet of steam hissed out.

Clatter-clatter-clack!

Interlocking gears spun wildly.

A fire-spewing mechanical device was smashing through the streets with its huge body.

A grotesque structure straight out of what you’d call the steampunk genre.

“An Ex Machina. Looks like another crazy bastard has decided to test their experimental weapon with a random attack.”

In other words, this wasn’t an attack targeting us. It was a literal indiscriminate attack.

However, it was hard to believe that Ariel, a member of the main character’s party, would just let this slide.

“What should we do, Sir Johan?”

She was asking me out of courtesy, but Ariel had probably already made up her mind.

“Let’s take care of it quickly. I’ll stay here and wait.”

“Sir Johan, are you about to die or something? Why are you acting so differently today?”

“Well, now I know what you normally think of me.”

Did she really expect me to cling to her leg, beg for protection, and act pathetically desperate?

For someone who claimed to feel a little closer to me, her opinion of me seemed to be scraping the floor.

Of course, she wasn’t exactly wrong in her judgment. I was the kind of person who might do that.

However…

“Yuna, what do you think about all this?”

I had nothing to worry about, because I had a stalker who was insanely good at fighting and always followed me around.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, I called her name, and sure enough, she peeked her head out from behind a nearby pillar and answered.

“Maybe they’ve done too many experiments and gone crazy?”

“Who knows? I kind of hope that’s the case, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“Should I look into it?”

“…No, it’s fine. We might end up poking a hornet’s nest for no reason.”

Ex Machina was a group of geniuses.

And for some reason, geniuses always tended to be stubborn and full of pride. So if you got involved with them the wrong way, it could turn into a huge headache.