246 – Three Heroines
— Nyaaa!
A black cat is walking through the forest.
It moved forward quickly, jumping between tree branches.
If a branch feels like it cannot withstand its weight and will fall down, it will immediately take off its feet and take advantage of the repulsive force. This is not at a low level to be treated as a mere insignificant thing.
Rather, if you observe the teacher, most experts will also gain some level of enlightenment.
Agile movements of feet and body.
The black cat moved quickly through the forest.
— Sniff!
However, we do not just move forward blindly.
It would occasionally twitch its nose.
At times like that, the running speed slowed down a bit, and it seemed as if it was glancing at the floor, looking for something.
— Nyah!
It suddenly turned around as it jumped to the next tree.
It rolled its body in the air and jumped to the ground using the tree trunk as a stepping stone.
— Crack!
Even with a sudden change in route, the landing is perfect.
The black cat approached the base of the tree without any tremor in its gait.
— Sniff!
Put your face close to the base and smell it.
What are you looking for?
Whatever it was, wasn’t it the stump of this tree?
The guy lifted his head down and nimbly climbed the tree.
After that, it repeats again.
Sometimes it jumps over a tree after landing on the ground, and then jumps up like it’s flying after landing. Let’s go back and forth like that for a few hours.
— …… !
The eyes of the thing that was running were round.
It was a little off for a moment, but it immediately regained its balance and slid down.
Moist dirt floor.
The black cat stepped on the ground and pushed away the fallen leaves covering the floor with its face. The guy didn’t even care that his face got dirty with dirt, and started digging down the nearby dirt as if he was eating after starving for several days.
That’s it for a moment.
— !!!
The guy ended up putting something white in his mouth.
Very small in size, enough to fit comfortably on the little finger.
If you look closely, it looks like a snow crystal.
— Woo!
The area around the cat shook.
A strong flow of magical power.
For a moment, there was a girl sitting there.
Sharp eye corners like a cat.
Long blue hair.
Sharon Pierce.
She held the white trace preciously in her hand.
“You’re alive, Ian…”
Her eyes turned red.
It was a rare occurrence.
However, after over two weeks of tracking, we managed to find clear traces of Ian. No matter what anyone says, this pure white crystal the size of a small snowflake is Ian’s extremely purified magical power.
I could tell because it was Sharon who always wandered by his side.
Clear traces of Ian.
Sharon cherished it in her arms.
This was proof that Ian was alive.
And it was also an important key to tracing his traces.
“I have to go to where those kids are.”
Sharon Pierce was acting alone.
From the beginning, she had no qualms about seeing other children.
She just wandered around them, gathered information, made a decision, and acted.
Instead, I tried a little harder.
She didn’t sleep or even eat.
Unlike other heroines, an infection during a heat incident that she could not overcome. To overcome that, I actively used the animal drawing I had learned. He became a black cat and searched without stopping.
Infinitely valuable evidence that was discovered that way.
If magic power has been categorized like this, Ian must also be growing rapidly.
Sharon carefully packed the traces into her inner pocket.
She then marked the location where she obtained it.
If you report this to the Dessert Research Group, they will continue the search.
They will do it by quietly leaving the evidence nearby, but since there are quick-witted children, they will quickly understand the situation and continue tracking.
“… You must find it.”
Sharon mumbled and took her steps.
A small breeze enveloped her for a moment.
Suddenly, at the highest point in the forest, a cat was running as if it were flying.
◆
If you keep hitting the floor, it becomes hard.
At some point, it becomes so hard that you can no longer dig down.
Holy Constantine.
The second largest room in the Vatican.
Aria was sitting there with her arms around her knees.
Her eyes were deeply sunken.
As always, deep into the floor.
When I heard that Ian had been captured by Shale Bridge, a being whose strength was difficult to measure.
And when the Vatican stopped searching for him.
Aria dug in as usual.
I turned off the lights in the room and covered myself with a blanket.
She hugged her knees and sank deeply to the floor.
‘… Uh, what should I do?’
I can’t think of any way to save Ian.
It was full of endless despair.
It was despair at my miserably incompetent self.
I was helpless in a situation where I couldn’t do anything without Ian.
… I’m sure that’s the case.
I would have had to sink deeper and deeper into the bottom, repeating these thoughts over and over again.
“Well, I’m still a saint.”
I suddenly had that thought.
“Since I received revelation, isn’t there something I can do?”
A revelation that I received as if I was half ecstatic.
If you think about it, that was also a good basis.
A sentence that the saint Aria herself put into her mouth, borrowed from the mouth of God.
If you think about it, the revelation that she had to save Ian was something that the Vatican could not ignore.
This is because the saint received revelation directly from God and not from anyone else.
Despite her thoughts, Aria was surprised at herself.
She wondered why her head suddenly turned like this.
And then I soon realized.
“… This is a real crisis.”
Ian was captured.
To Shaleam Bridge and no one else.
This is a crisis situation where we don’t know what will really happen.
Phew—.
Aria took a deep breath.
It was her first time since she had fallen into her own mind.
And then he stood up.
Beetle, Beetle.
She made a mistake and almost fell, but she managed to stand up by leaning on the wall.
I don’t know why, but that’s what happened this time.
This was possible because there was no more floor to fall from.
“…Ian.”
It must be saved.
Even if it was to atone for her sins that Aria herself committed.
No, even to confide in her Ian.
I have to meet him.
You must survive.
Only Ian can save himself.
— Slither
Aria stepped forward with her trembling legs.
It was her first step without anyone’s help since she fell through the floor.
◆
Conference room of the Vatican.
All the attendees who participated in the virtually nominal meeting hosted by the saint looked perplexed.
— Kwaang
The sound of a table shaking violently.
No matter how much clergy there are, it is not uncommon for harsh noises to be made during meetings.
However, there was a different reason why they were embarrassed.
‘… Why is the saint suddenly acting like that?’
‘Did I eat something wrong?’
Although there was a short period of time after ascending to the throne, that time was enough for rumors about Aria to spread.
An extremely passive and timid saint.
No one in the Vatican had high expectations for this saint.
There were many people who even thought that revelation would not pass.
But.
“It’s a revelation! It’s a revelation given directly by Deus through me, a saint!”
Aria shouted firmly.
Of course, her voice was trembling.
Maybe it was because she had never shouted before.
“Gu, we must save it! We are all priests who follow God’s will. We must all make an effort to keep Deus’s revelation!”
But on the contrary, it felt sincere.
People around her began to be puzzled by her completely changed appearance.
◆
Near the Liechten Academy.
Raymond Upper Continent Central Division’s Division Chief’s Office.
The continental central division was the largest branch of the Raymond Upper Division, influencing more than half of the continent from the capital to Liechten.
Usually, the head of the upper management also serves as the head of the central division.
What this means is that Emilia has been officially decided as Raymond’s successor.
Official title: Deputy Chief of Staff.
Emilia, who had already reached that position, opened her mouth with a sharp expression.
“Please do not spare any support possible in this search operation for Ian’s Black Angus. Laurent Sangsang… Fulfill their requirements as much as possible.”
“Does this mean I just have to pretend to do it?”
“No. Please cooperate as much as possible.”
No one here was unaware of the fact that Emilia originally kept the Laurent Sangdan in check.
Naturally, question marks appeared on the faces of the top executives.
But Emilia didn’t care.
“At this point, Cadet Ian’s value is more important than anything else. We need to do our best to aim for recovery.”
Her expression was resolute, as if she would not listen to any objections.
Then it has been decided.
Most of the executives agreed with her decision and left.
The office where everyone left.
Her secretary asked.
“Why did you change direction? If it was the same, it would have been Ian…”
The secretary’s words did not continue.
This is because Emilia’s eyebrows were wrinkled.
There was a short silence.
“That never happened.”
It was a simple sentence.
That was decided.
This meant that even Raymond’s upper body began to move to secure Ian’s safety.