29 – The Regret Bestowed by My Mentor (6)
“I’m sorry, but no.”
Elly replied with a serene voice.
Her demeanor was calm yet carried a weight that seemed to emanate an unapproachable dignity.
However,
The moment Fiora heard her words,
Her expression hardened as she asked urgently,
“What… do you mean there are none? I came here knowing for certain that you were here?”
“Fiora.”
Charlotte intervened as Fiora seemed about to show her excitement.
At this, Fiora hesitated briefly, then quickly composed herself.
“Ex… Excuse me. Please forgive my impoliteness.”
“It’s okay. You’re here searching for someone important, are you not? I can understand to a certain extent and let it pass.”
Elly spoke with a calm smile.
However, within it,
Charlotte could sense a quiet warning that crossing the line further would not be forgiven.
“As you’re aware. Mr. Gellard is working with us at the Central Devil Hunters.”
“Ah!”
Fiona exclaimed with excitement reflexively upon hearing that the teacher was alive.
However, Ellie’s words that followed slightly dampened Fiona’s joy.
“But unfortunately, he is not here. Although he is part of our central group, this place is just one of the many bases of the central devil hunters scattered throughout the Franz Kingdom. Finding him here would be like finding someone living in the streets of the Perry District in the population fairy city.”
“Hmm…”
Indeed, Gelard’s presence could not be guaranteed just because they were both part of the central devil hunters, as Ellie had pointed out.
Especially unlike the north, the central devil hunters cover a much wider area on their missions.
From that perspective, it couldn’t be said for sure that this was the place where Gelard could be found.
However, that was only superficial.
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In that moment, while listening to Ellie’s words, Charlotte realized one thing contained within them.
‘From the beginning, she never intended to simply meet us…’
Considering what she knew about Fiona, saying such things meant rejection.
Taking that into account, Charlote tried to persuade her, opening her mouth somehow.
Then, “But… even so, I heard that Ellie is the leader who moves the central devil hunters. As someone like you, don’t you know where the teacher is right now?”
Fiona spoke again in a louder voice, one step ahead of Charlotte, raising her voice.
In response to her friend’s appearance, who didn’t understand the meaning of rejection hidden in those words, Charlotte desperately tried to calm her down.
“Wait, Fiona. Just calm down for a moment.”
“What are you saying? You heard it too! The teacher is alive! That alone is reason enough for us to go see him!”
With those words,
Fiora lowered her head deeply towards Eli, who was in front of her, and spoke.
“Please! Please… Please let me know where Master Geralt is! I have something important to tell him, even if it’s just for a moment!”
…
Fiora’s desperate plea.
In response, Eli maintained a moment of silence before slowly standing up and saying,
“Yes, I know. Just as you said, I know where Geralt is and what mission he is currently on.”
“Ah!”
“But regardless of that, he will never meet with you.”
“That… What does that mean?”
…
Eli spoke with a chilling voice for a moment.
Then she stepped forward towards Fiora and stood in front of her.
“I don’t know the exact details as Geralt himself has not mentioned them to me. However, there is one thing.”
As she said that, Eli looked directly into Fiora’s eyes.
Even in the eyes of someone like her, who was a woman herself, it was chillingly beautiful,
But at the same time, emanating a gaze as red and eerie as blood,
With a cold voice, Eli spoke to Fiora.
“What I know is that Geralt, who was the leader of the northern region in the past, was deeply afraid of that time. It’s as if he wants to erase all memories of the past from his mind.”
“!…”
Like a sharp blade piercing her chest.
With those words, Elly slowly turned her head and sat back in her seat.
She smiled on her face and spoke in a cold voice.
“Now, do you understand? They want to sever all ties from the North. Surely you must have experienced something tragic, something they don’t even want to mention.”
“Gulp…”
Knowing the tragedy all too well, Fiona began to feel a chilling guilt tighten her throat.
And towards that Fiona,
Elly inserted the final dagger with a cold voice.
“They will never meet with you. No, such a situation… I, who am in charge, will not allow it.”
“… “
“Go back. There is nothing else to see here.”
Although it seemed like she didn’t know the exact situation,
From our perspective, Elly ruthlessly struck with facts that could be considered fatal violence.
Contained within it,
Her teacher still resenting her, the painful fact that forgiveness is out of the question,
Fiona kept her heavy silence and bowed her head.
“So… Is she really going to hate us that much? Refusing to even look at our faces…”
Understanding the decision her teacher made to completely sever ties, considering what they had done, also came to her.
Even if she was in the same position, she didn’t want to have anything to do with those who stabbed her in the back.
In this situation where the summoning spirits had descended,
It was at that moment when Fiona, mentally scarred, tightly closed her mouth, unable to say anything.
“I understand what you mean. I suppose you, as our master, can think of us that way.”
Speaking on behalf of her friend who was speechless with guilt, Charlotte spoke in a firm voice.
“However, we must meet the master no matter what it takes. Even if it means making sacrifices…”
Normally, she would have let her timid nature keep her silent, but after everything she had experienced, Charlotte had made a firm determination.
She decided to be the one to act instead of hesitating…
When it came to things she believed to be right,
she resolved to act decisively.
“If we back down here, we won’t be able to do anything forever. Even if it is to atone for past mistakes!”
In that moment of decision,
Charlotte kneeled before Ellie.
“…”
“I will do whatever you want. If necessary, I can even reveal the vulnerabilities that Viscount Lamotte possesses… No, if you want me to come from the north to the center, I will do it.”
She pleaded earnestly…
To be precise, Charlotte was proposing a deal.
In a way, this could also be considered betrayal.
However,
As there was a high possibility that Viscount Lamotte was involved in the demon incident, Charlotte had no reason to hesitate in cutting ties with him and the Northern Devil Hunter group he led.
And so, Ellie began to show signs of hesitation for a moment…
Having recognized this fact, Charlotte spoke with an even more poignant voice.
“I desire nothing else. We simply wish to beg for forgiveness for our past wrongs from our master. So please… Please have pity on us and give us a chance.”
*
Charlotte pleaded earnestly, kneeling down.
And following her, Fiona, whose words had momentarily been caught in her throat, also kneeled down and pleaded.
“I beg of you. Like Charlotte said, I will do anything. So please… Please allow us to meet our master.”
Both of them pleaded with desperation.
In response, Ellie maintained silence for a moment as she looked at them.
She seemed to be calculating something in her mind.
As if in the silence that felt like years had passed.
The two of them waited anxiously to see what the outcome would be.
And a moment later,
Ellie opened her mouth and spoke in a calm voice towards them.
“I understand. If you agree, I will make it possible for you to meet him.”
“Ah!…”
At Ellie’s words, the two of them showed a momentary joy.
As she looked at them, Ellie began to show a gentle smile on her lips once again.
Similar to when they first met,
But with a chilly aura contained within that smile…
If there is a hell, this would be the exact place.
With that thought in mind, she extended her hand towards the front and gathered her magical power.
“Screaaam!!!!!”
“Gaaah!”
The sound of screams resounding tragically.
Closing her ears forcefully, as her precious subordinates one by one died,
She focused all her attention to complete the spell as quickly as possible.
“For god’s sake! Protect the general!”
“Prevent the damn demons from getting closer!”
Soldiers dressed in red military uniforms brandished their swords and fired bullets.
In front of them, demons approached with their arms extended towards this direction.
They had heads resembling jellyfish, with dozens of eyes embedded, and they walked on two legs like humans.
These bastards were humming an ominous melody that reminded her of a song, endlessly pouring out from the sea.
The soldiers were mercilessly torn apart by the tentacles extended from the demons’ bodies.
Watching this,
She finally aimed the completed magic towards those filthy demons and thought to herself.
“The saying about poking a beehive must be referring to something like this… Damn members of the council, this is why I said I shouldn’t interfere in other people’s affairs…”
With that thought, she released her magical power.
And then.
This region, which was covered in dark clouds, suddenly filled with light.
Not just any light, but flashes of golden lightning.
They fell upon the heads of the demons that were advancing towards this place.
“＜Nelson Touch＞!”