CH 645

A short while later.

Ludwig returned after a brief stroll.

To be precise, he had stopped by the Magic University, but it hadn't taken much time.

He couldn't leave his post for long due to his anxiety.

Scarlett was in a very dangerous situation.

It was only natural for her to be flustered since he had told her to follow his words without properly explaining the situation.

It was only right to give her time to think, but he couldn't afford to give her much.

Upon returning to the temple dormitory, Ludwig cautiously knocked on Scarlett's door.

"Scarlett, it's me."

Standing in front of the door, Ludwig quietly waited.

There was no response.

Was she pondering somewhere else rather than in her room?

Knock, knock.

"Scarlett."

He knocked again, but Ludwig didn't hear a response.

Ludwig silently waited in front of the door for an answer.

Knock, knock.

And then, for the third time.

Ludwig's expression had hardened.

He knew as well.

There was no sign of life in the room from the beginning.

He had only knocked on the door just in case.

Ludwig knew that Scarlett wasn't in the room.

"…"

Could it be?

No way.

It couldn't be.

Absolutely not.

It couldn't be.

Scarlett couldn't be like that.

Ludwig hypnotized himself as if trying to convince himself.

As he thought that, Ludwig's eyes sank deeper into the abyss.

In that case.

What should he do?

How could he?

How could Scarlett?

No.

How could he help Scarlett?

What should he do?

"…"

As the ominous shadow of his thoughts shifted toward an ominous decision.

"Ludwig."

It wasn't the door, but unexpectedly, he sensed a presence in the lobby. Ludwig turned his head.

Scarlett was walking towards him, dragging a large trunk from the lobby.

"I had to pack some things."

Ludwig barely heard her words.

He walked straight towards Scarlett.

Seeing Ludwig approaching with a terrifyingly hardened expression, Scarlett couldn't help but be flustered. Unknowingly, she took a small step back.

"Ludwig…? Why that expression…?"

Bang!

"!"

Ludwig suddenly and roughly embraced Scarlett.

Naturally, Scarlett was flustered by his sudden embrace.

"Why…why all of a sudden…?"

"I'm relieved."

"…Pardon?"

"I'm relieved."

Though it wasn't hers, Scarlett could vividly feel Ludwig's heart pounding as if it would burst while embracing her.

What on earth was he relieved about?

What was he so relieved for?

"I'm relieved… Truly relieved…"

Scarlett didn't know, but somehow she felt like she knew a little.

She couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"Ca-calm down. I…I won't go anywhere."

As she embraced Ludwig back, Scarlett gently stroked his back.

As they were embracing, Scarlett couldn't see how violently Ludwig's eyes were shaking.

"I'm relieved… Scarlett…"

Since he didn't have to think about anything.

Since he didn't have to imagine anything.

Ludwig muttered the same words endlessly like a madman.

Contrary to Ludwig's ominous imagination, Scarlett hadn't suddenly disappeared.

However, it seemed that she had gone somewhere to get something, as she returned dragging a large trunk.

"We don't have much time. Let's go now."

"Ah... All right. Let's go, Ludwig."

As if to calm him down.

Although she had said didn’t go anywhere, Scarlett held Ludwig in her arms, soothingly stroking his back.

Scarlett was now busy packing, no longer asking or questioning anything.

Yet, Ludwig couldn't shake the thought that Scarlett might have disappeared.

He wondered what he should do if that were the case.

If Scarlett had disappeared, if she had other thoughts in mind.

What should he do then?

He imagined what he should do with Scarlett.

For a brief moment, he doubted Scarlett, who seemed willing to follow him.

He even had fearful imaginings beyond doubt.

"I'm sorry, Scarlett. I'm sorry..."

"It's all right..."

As she heard Ludwig's sudden apology, Scarlett hugged him even tighter.

It seemed as if they couldn't see each other's trembling eyes as they held one another.

'I'm... I'm sorrier...'

Ludwig also couldn't see Scarlett's twisted expression.

------

Ludwig and Scarlett walked out of the Royal Class dormitory.

Regardless of Ludwig's relief that his ominous thoughts didn't come true, he couldn't help but be curious.

"What did you go out to get?"

If there was anything to pack, it would be clothes. But the clothes were in Scarlett's room, yet she had appeared from the lobby.

"Ah, I got some books from the library. I thought... since you wouldn't say, I might be staying for a long time."

"I see..."

It seemed as if she understood they would be away from the temple for quite some time, even without him saying anything. Ludwig had no choice but to accept her reasoning for bringing books to pass the time.

"You'll return them for me, right?"

Scarlett looked at Ludwig with a mischievous expression as she spoke.

Returning books.

It was such a trivial matter, but since Scarlett pretended not to know on purpose, Ludwig let out a bitter laugh.

"...I'll return them, and if you need anything, I'll get it for you, no matter what."

"So, it doesn't have to be a book, right?"

"Of course."

Although there wasn't much he could do in this world, he intended to provide anything within his capabilities.

Naturally, she could only be grateful. Who wouldn't be, when she obediently followed his request to find a hiding place, despite possibly exploiting her power?

"But what about the cat? It seemed like we could bring it."

Ludwig found it strange that Scarlett hadn't brought the cat she had taken for a walk just a while ago.

Wouldn't the cat be all right, even if a person wasn't?

It would certainly be a boring life without it.

"It was just playing with me for a while; I'm not its owner. Wouldn't it be better off staying at the temple dormitory?"

"Ah... I see. You just came back, too, Scarlett."

"That's right."

Scarlett silently watched as the temple entrance drew closer.

A person who said nothing.

A person who told bold lies.

Who was the worse person?

Obviously, it would be the latter.

Scarlett thought so.

------

As soon as Scarlett stepped out of the temple, she was confronted by a mage wearing a robe.

The mage wore a plain, gray robe with no distinguishing features.

Scarlett didn't ask anything of Ludwig, and Ludwig was secretly grateful that Scarlett didn't question him.

However, Scarlett knew who the figure before her was.

No, it would be more appropriate to say she knew 'what' it was.

An army composed of the dead.

When she didn't know its true nature, it was mysterious, but now that she knew, she couldn't help but feel creeped out just facing it.

In order to end the war, they had dabbled in dangerous magic, and what stood before her was only a small part of the outcome.

In a flash, along with teleportation magic, Scarlett found herself in a room she had never seen before.

The place where Scarlett arrived wasn't a street, but a room in some building.

Scarlett looked around the spacious, yet unfamiliar room.

She immediately noticed a particular feature of the room she was in.

There were no windows.

She couldn't tell whether it was above or below ground.

"Ludwig, where... where are we?"

Scarlett couldn't even tell whether they were somewhere within the palace or in a different city.

In response to Scarlett's question about their location, Ludwig quietly grabbed her shoulder.

"Scarlett."

"...Yes."

"Just wait a little longer. I promise, I won't keep you here long."

Instead of answering her question, he made a promise.

Ludwig's words said it all.

It implied that she would essentially be imprisoned here.

Ludwig explained various things to Scarlett.

If anything was lacking or needed, or if anything happened, she should speak to the person guarding the door.

There was plenty of food and other necessities prepared.

"I'm not allowed to leave... am I?"

In the end, at Scarlett's direct question, Ludwig cast his eyes downward.

"I'm sorry, it's all to protect you..."

Ludwig tried to say that, but closed his mouth.

It seemed unbearable for him to say such words while confining his friend.

"I'm sorry."

"...It can't be helped."

The words of resignation that came from Scarlett's lips carried a similar resonance to what Ludwig had once said.

------

Ludwig left.

The army known as the Immortals.

Scarlett now knew that the rear support unit he had mentioned was that army.

Ludwig would not have been in the rear support, but fighting at the front lines. It was clear that he must have been fighting in the most dangerous places.

Both the Demon King and Ludwig were doing what they could.

And Scarlett, too, had chosen what she thought she should do.

A room without windows.

The room itself was spacious, with a bathroom and seemingly no inconveniences for living.

However, Scarlett found the appearance of the large room strangely unsettling.

It wasn’t like there were iron bars.

All the furniture seemed to be made of high-quality materials.

Yet, the lack of windows, the overall structure of the room that made it impossible to tell whether it was above or below ground, and the soundproofing made her feel a certain way.

It didn't look like a prison, but it was a room made to be one.

A prison designed to hold those difficult to treat as prisoners.

Before the Gate incident, who was this kind of room meant to imprison?

Scarlett didn't know.

All she could do was accept what had already happened and endure it.

Scarlett began to unpack her clothes from the trunk.

She would have to stay here for a while.

The trunk contained more books than clothes.

Among the miscellaneous books were specialized texts, novels, history books, and even dictionaries.

She brought them to pass the time.

That's how Scarlett explained it.

In all honesty, it seemed like it would take years to read all those books.

In a room with no one but herself, Scarlett took out an ordinary novel.

But the content of the novel wasn't written there.

Scarlett flipped through the pages one by one.

What was written there were formulas and diagrams.

[Teleport]

[Mass Teleport]

[Noise Canceling]

Inside the novel was not a novel, but a magic scroll.

"I'm sorry, Ludwig."

Scarlett carefully closed the scroll book disguised as a novel and tucked it into a pile of books in the trunk.

Ludwig had locked Scarlett in an unknown prison.

No, to be precise, he was under the illusion that he had locked her up.

One item she received from the Demon King, the scroll book.

And the second item.

Scarlett fiddled with the purple brooch she had tucked away.

When the time came, the Demon King would send a signal.

Then all she had to do was carry out the agreed-upon action.

"…"

Before she knew it, Scarlett's palms were damp with cold sweat.

------

'…I'll help you.'

After much contemplation, Scarlett decided to help me.

To be honest, I didn't expect Scarlett to be on my side.

But, as Scarlett had said, there might be people who understood me just as there were people who didn't.

And Scarlett was one of the former.

After returning to Lazak, I spoke with Charlotte and Harriet.

"Wouldn't it have been better to bring her with us?"

Harriet furrowed her brow, perhaps worried about leaving Scarlett behind.

She seemed uneasy, having given Scarlett the scroll book and signal device and then leaving her behind.

Leaving Scarlett behind was dangerous, regardless of whether or not she could be used.

"I thought so too."

"…You didn't tell her to stay behind, did you?"

"Yes."

Charlotte bit her lip.

Charlotte had been the closest to Scarlett in Class B.

"It's dangerous, but at this point, Scarlett made the wise decision."

Despite her anxiety, Charlotte had to admit that Scarlett's decision had been the best one.

'If I disappear, won't the situation become even more dangerous?'

Scarlett had said that clearly.

"Immortals automatically recover when destroyed. Scarlett is the person who can most perfectly neutralize Immortals without any harm at this point. If Scarlett suddenly disappears… something even more dangerous might happen."

Provoking those who had control over the Immortals, including Christina and Ludwig, was a very dangerous act.

Scarlett's disappearance had already excited the others, so the best decision to reassure them was for Scarlett to be captured for now.

Scarlett had chosen to become a prisoner herself.

She was grateful for the help she had received, but she had found herself in the most dangerous situation.

That's why I had given her not only the scrollbook I always carried, but also a signaling device I had prepared in case our conversation with Scarlett unfolded in an unexpected way.

If Scarlett was in danger, or if we needed her on our side, we would send a signal.

In the end, Scarlett had to deceive her friends.

A friend who had to imprison another friend.

A friend who had to deceive a friend trying to imprison her.

"…How sad."

Charlotte murmured, her expression bleak, as if the reality her former B-class classmates now faced was unbearable.

The possibility of Scarlett's power that had been conveyed through the archduke.

I had moved immediately upon hearing the news, so I was able to reach Scarlett more quickly than Ludwig.

What would have happened if I had been late?

If I had arrived at the Royal Class dormitory after Ludwig had taken Scarlett and disappeared?

If I couldn't find out where Scarlett had gone?

What would have happened then?

This time, I was fast.

That's why I could use Scarlett.

However, as I said with my own mouth.

Using Scarlett ultimately put her in danger, and that fact remained unchanged.

After all the twists and turns.

Because of me.

The two original heroines.

Delphin had died.

Scarlett had to deceive Ludwig.

"…"

"Everything will be fine."

I wasn't sure what my expression was like, but Harriet cautiously wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

"That's right."

Charlotte, who was watching the scene, nodded with a determined expression.

"Everything will be fine."

Please.

It has to work out.

We said it, but we didn't know if it was conviction, an assertion, or a prayer.

Or just a mere hope.

We could no longer tell.