Chapter 38
Sigrin used the teleport bracelet artifact to move inside the fence.
The Pebble Golems were getting closer to the transfer student.
Luckily, Pebble Golems weren’t particularly fast on an uphill slope.
The problem was that time was dragging, and now Wisps were starting to gather nearby.
“Transfer student!”
Sigrin shouted, and the running transfer student turned toward her.
Upon spotting Sigrin, his face lit up brightly.
He seemed thrilled to escape, his cheeks flushed with excitement.
“Help me!!”
“Run this way!”
Nodding eagerly with a smile, the transfer student lightly stepped on a Pebble Golem’s head, using his agile frame to reach Sigrin.
There was an odd sense of expertise in his evasive movements. Grinning widely, he spread his arms.
“Wait, if you jump like that!”
He leaped and clung to Sigrin, causing her to stumble and fall backward.
Fortunately, the moment the transfer student touched her, she didn’t forget to activate her defensive magic artifact.
A barrier formed around Sigrin and the transfer student.
Wisps and Pebble Golems couldn’t enter the barrier, swinging their arms at Sigrin from outside.
Thud, thud, thud!
A fierce sound, like a house being demolished, echoed outside the barrier.
Sigrin turned to check the doggy door outside.
The Ogile gang had already fled.
At least they subconsciously knew their actions were wrong, which was good.
That would make blackmail easier later.
“Hey, this barrier only lasts one minute, so we need to get out now.”
“….”
Hug!
The transfer student, seemingly in a panic, clung tightly to Sigrin and wouldn’t let go.
…Was he really panicking? His expression looked genuinely joyful.
Or was that just his face’s default?
“Hey?”
“Yes?”
“Thirty seconds left.”
“Eek! What do we do?”
What do you mean, what do we do?! Run, now!!
Sigrin signaled, but the transfer student remained blissfully clueless.
This was bad.
Was he the type who didn’t get hints, like Bilha?
Sigrin clicked her tongue.
Using artifacts simultaneously caused severe dizziness, but it seemed she’d have to use her remaining teleport artifact.
“Hehe, just kidding. You don’t need to use another artifact.”
“…How did you—”
The transfer student finally ran out through the doggy door as Sigrin wished.
Thanks to him, Sigrin could deactivate the barrier and quickly slip out too.
“Thanks for the help,! You saved my life.”
“…No problem.”
Sigrin crossed her arms and smiled back.
A hunch struck her.
‘Eye of Ether.’
“….”
As expected, she didn’t need to help him.
Though not as large as Luca’s or Bilha’s, he had a core near his heart, denser and darker than anyone’s.
She’d never seen a core this concentrated.
While Ether was typically bright purple, his core was nearly black, with barely any purple.
It strangely felt like the core was rotting.
Considering that frequent Ether use deepened a core’s color, this guy was highly suspicious.
He didn’t seem like someone who’d only fought a battle or two.
“Transfer student, what’s your name?”
“My name?”
His smile grew even brighter, as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
“It’s Kagobin!”
“Surname?”
“I’m a commoner, so I don’t have one! My name even means ‘trash luggage.’”
Kagobin spun around, laughing, casually sharing what most would hide.
“Well…”
Sigrin was at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, Kagobin kept gazing at her, cheeks still flushed.
His faintly visible eyes were an enigmatic purple, like crystal orbs.
Hug!
Kagobin hugged Sigrin again.
“…??”
“Anyway,, thank you so much for helping!”
“Huh?”
Before Sigrin could push him off, he let go first.
“I hope I can help you someday! See you later!”
He could’ve asked her name, but didn’t. Kagobin waved enthusiastically and vanished from sight.
✦ ✦ ✦
Leaving the hunting grounds’ back path, Sigrin headed to the Cardia Plaza.
Luca was waiting there, holding a video orb.
“Princess, the video orb you asked for.”
“Thank you.”
“Those Ogile kids still haven’t learned their lesson.”
“Superiority complexes don’t fix easily.”
Sigrin had asked Luca to steal the video orb of the transfer student, Kagobin, from the fleeing students.
Kids who’d been in Lemaos long seemed naturally quick-handed.
Luca easily snatched the orb from the Ogile kids.
With the orb she recorded and the one the kids used, Sigrin went to find Cardin.
“Sigrin… What’s this?”
“Gus Ogile’s muzzle.”
Cardin shut his eyes tightly after checking the contents.
He felt guilty that another kid became a target because of him.
“Why are there two orbs? The content seems the same.”
“The Ogile kids’ faces aren’t in their video. Some kids are missing too.”
“Oh…”
Cardin let out an awed gasp at Sigrin’s thoroughness.
She really was a pro…
It gave him chills.
“Even if you train hard, if you’re too scared of Ogile’s backers to act, this will help a lot.”
“…Thank you. What if they act defiant?”
“Seeing them flee the moment they were caught, I doubt they will.”
Cardin lowered his head, feeling sorry for the effort Sigrin put in for him. After thanking her repeatedly, he looked up.
“…I’ll protect that transfer student too, Sigrin. And any other bullied kids…”
“No need to worry about the transfer student. Just focus on the others.”
“Huh?”
Sigrin spoke, thinking of the kid called Kagobin.
“You don’t need to worry about the transfer student… Why…?”
Cardin tilted his head, confused.
Sigrin smiled and waved it off.
“Forget what I said. Just focus on getting stronger.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Back at her dorm, lying on her bed, Sigrin stared at the beast lure she’d taken from Gus via Kagobin.
It had a power button inside, allowing it to be turned on and off.
Saving Kagobin, who was far stronger than her, felt a bit anticlimactic, but since this was her goal, she wasn’t too upset.
But what was that kid really?
Transfer student. A core that felt like it was rotting. Skilled movements.
Whatever, I’m staying out of it.
Wait, she shouldn’t think like that. That’s how she got tangled with Luca.
Though the outcome was great.
“Miss Sigrin!! Wearin and… uh… a bunch of kids are outside the library looking for you!”
“Huh? Why?”
Snapping out of her thoughts, Sigrin got up and headed downstairs.
Now that she thought about it, she’d given Wearin an errand. Humming, she descended and stepped into the library courtyard.
She expected only Wearin, but there were more students behind her.
Each carried a sack, crowding the library courtyard.
“Ebenkera!”
Wearin, beaming with excitement, set down the sack on her back.
Following her lead, the other students placed their sacks at their feet.
There was a cart overflowing with distilled water and Fairy Powder, unasked for.
“Here are the materials you requested!”
“….”
“….”
The commotion drew students from inside the library.
Luca whistled, awed by the sheer volume of materials.
“…Wow, what kind of tribute is this?”
“I told them to gather as much as possible, so I got my friends to collect with all their might.”
“Wow…”
It was just a small errand, but she hadn’t expected Wearin to rally friends and bring this much.
Anyone would think she was setting up a business.
Why so much…?
Shock crossed Sigrin’s face, and Wearin, proud, rubbed under her nose.
Operation: Success.
“Thanks for the hard work.”
Feeling guilty, Sigrin could only say thanks.
“By the way, Ebenkera, I have a question.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
After neatly arranging the items in front of the library, Wearin swallowed hard and asked.
“What are all these materials for?”
She’d heard about the Mafia and drug abuse.
Wearin was nervous, wondering if she was now involved in illegal drug production or distribution.
Or perhaps part of an even grander project.
When Wearin asked cautiously, Sigrin scratched her head.
“…Alchemy class homework.”
“Oh.”