The Magic Academy's Physicist-Chapter 196: Return (2)

Chapter 196: Return (2)

She went to the palace for no other reason.

Rosemary.

It was to look for her sworn sister.

“Argh!”

“Kurgh...!”

“Urgh....”

There were several people who were searching the castle. Aether beat them down as they came into sight and moved on.

They aren’t even worth using the caliper.

She didn’t use the staff, but the self-defense moves used by the Golden-Eyed and beastkin–martial arts. Weaklings like these could be knocked out with a single shoulder throw.

She worked her way up from the first floor like that. And the higher she went, the more bodies there were.

They must have all been killed by Tortoise.

Aether kept going, unperturbed. Her goal was a room on the upper floor.

Creak. She gripped the handle and turned it.

It was a room with the ceiling torn, bodies on either side. A large magic circle was drawn on the floor–a construction circle. It was a giant scroll used to summon Tortoise here, with black liquid splattered around it.

Lastly, there was the sprawled form of a girl to one side.

Aether locked eyes with that girl. Pupils without focus. Gold eyes stared at her.

“......Rosemary.”

Aether narrowed her eyes.

She had come here to question Rosemary. Why did she unleash Tortoise. What was such an issue that you had to interfere with me trying to get along with humans. That was what she wanted to ask.

However.

She couldn’t.

“S-sis.......”

Rosemary nodded her head. Urghhhh, she groaned. And even then, she said tearfully.

“I, I’m sorry.”

Aether went to her with a dazed expression. On closer look, there were holes all over her limbs.

The pretty dress was shredded here and there. Different parts of her body was singed. Her ultramarine hair was a tangled mess.

A pitiful appearance. The tension in her eyes relaxed, and Aether knelt down without thinking.

“What, what happened to you.”

“I-I’m sorry.... Please, forgive me just this once....”

Rosemary didn’t answer her question. She just kept repeating ‘I’m sorry’ like a parrot.

She wanted to get angry, but she couldn’t. Her rage dissipated like it hadn’t happened.

“I-I was just going to take the Lodestone and go....... But the chairman suddenly showed up.... And I got struck by magic.... And didn’t have time to take mana grass....... So I just.... I-I’m sorry.......”

After saying as much, Rosemary coughed up blood.

“Th-that.......”

Rosemary gestured towards something with her hand, and Aether’s gaze followed. A finger-sized scroll that was rolled up like a cigarette. Upon seeing it, Aether’s eyes went hard.

It’s what I made.

It was the lesser version of White Night.

I see, so that’s what it was.

The rage that had flared up in an instant melted like snow. Aether dropped her head like she’d been stunned. She couldn’t look her little sister in the face.

This isn’t the time.

She snapped out of it.

White Night had dozens of times more penetration than Flare, and even had an ionizing effect on objects. When the spell went through her, the affected area would’ve turned to plasma for an instant before turning back. The priority right now was to get her treatment.

But how do I treat her?

Aether racked her brain, then lifted her head as she remembered something.

The hardcover.

The item that the Goddess had given to her other self.

The Goddess L’Quinneth, someone who wasn’t trustworthy. But to save Rosemary, she would gladly use her powers.

Aether pulled the hardcover from subspace.

“Heal, are there any heal spells...?”

She opened the table of contents, but unlike before, it was filled with different words.

[Are you looking for heal magic?]

[What you should currently be doing is destruction.]

Aether’s brows drew together.

New novel chapters are published on freewёbn૦νeɭ.com.

TITLE[TIP : Destroy all magic and head to the next ensemble.]

[Fire Magic : 0/1049]

[Water Magic : 0/992]

[Earth Magic : 0/1007]

[Air Magic : 0/824]

[Elec Magic : 0/2252]

[Unclassified : 0/149]

Something changed. Aether just tossed the book.

Normally, the book would be grumbling if it was treated like this, but the hardcover was quiet. As if it had been like that from the start.

“Damn it.”

Now there was no other way; she would have to go back to the Demon Castle to help her.

Time’s running out.

Aether gathered up Rosemary. Just then, someone came down through the open ceiling.

It was a dragon holding a red Lodestone. It was obvious who she was.

“It’s been two months, hasn’t it?”

“.......”

Jǫrmungandr, the Autumn Heaven.

There was no need for pleasantries between the two. That was what being companions for a thousand years meant.

Short conversations, quick actions.

Jǫrmungandr smiled gently.

“You feel different. Have you changed your resolve?”

“...It’s all over.”

“I see.”

Jǫrmungandr opened her closed eyes. Snap, she flicked her fingers, and when she did, two mechanical wyverns flew overhead in the sky. They were the elite of the First Brigade, Beasts that were like her distant relation.

Jǫrmungandr gestured toward Aether who looked up at the sky.

“Welcome back, comrade. Now, get on.”

**Although they were called wyverns, they were no different from flying wings back on Earth in reality.

People could ride inside it, and explosives could be stored at the bottom. It was just that the head part looked like a lizard.

This, too, was the result of the ‘curse of ironization’. Wyverns had originally been nothing more than flying lizards, but the Demon King’s curse had transformed these simple carnivores into complete monsters.

Wyverns such as these were quick with their movements as well, as much as a jet. No, more than that. It only took thirty minutes to fly from the Empire to the Demon Castle.

“This should do.”

In the meantime, Jǫrmungandr performed first aid on Rosemary.

“Doing this reminds me of the old days.”

“The Great War, you mean?”

“That’s right.”

A thousand years ago, during the Great War.

Back then, the field commander was also the healer. Jǫrmungandr had healed soldiers on the front while fighting herself.

“My skills haven’t gotten rusty, though it isn’t at Summer Heaven’s level.”

“Did they say they have the Lodestone of Water as well?”

“Of course. Now they’ll be able to bring his soul back.”

Long ago, when the Demon Army had been defeated by the Elementals, there were two beings who had been sealed together with the Demon King.

Pasmo, the ‘Spring Heaven’.

Gilach, the ‘Summer Heaven’.

The Four Heavens who had ruled and spring and summer skies respectively.

They had slaughtered the Elementals until the very end of the war, hadn’t given up despite the growing indications of defeat. Hence, they each went after the Fire and Water Elemental Kings. And the result hadn’t been good.

“Those guys are going to nag at us when they wake up, about how undisciplined the Demon Army is.”

“We just need to argue that it’s a hundred times better than being sealed. Isn’t that what our lord said? That the strong must always survive.”

The two of them passed the time talking about various things. In the meantime, the clothes which had been soaked by the Steam Rain also dried.

She randomly looked out the window. Rocky snow mountains could be seen beneath the sky.

It was snowy. There was also a lake with the occasional ice floating on it. The world was entirely white.

Nunatak terrain. Facing the Elankaya Mountains, Aether said softly.

“......It’s home.”

It was strange. She had run because she couldn’t stay in the Demon Army, but ended up back at square one in the end.

Boooom! The wyvern landed rather loudly.

Aether lifted Rosemary onto her back, then immediately ran to the entrance of the tower.

Clack, clunk!

Two Beasts with monitors for heads got in Aether’s way.

Foreign things with a drill attached to one arm, and a machine gun on the other. Their faces made static noises, and they looked to be around five meters tall.

C-c-clack!

The two Beasts rotated their heads once and aimed their guns.

“...Identify yourself.”

Aether raised her head.

“Move, unless you want to die.”

“......Yes.”

The Iron Tower.

It wasn’t the Demon Castle, but it was close to it. This place could be used as a field hospital.

How long had it been? Despite the complicated pathway, Aether arrived at the healing ward without getting lost.

The medical capsule.... is over there.

Aether put Rosemary in the capsule.

[Beginning treatment.]Beasts were resilient as long as they didn’t lose their mana stone. Even if they lost all their organs, they could come back to life as long as they kept the stone. Thankfully, Rosemary had no signs of direct damage where the stone was.

“Huu.”

With the fire put out, Aether lit a cigarette and went outside. She took the stairs to the upper floors.

The top floor of the Dark Tower. It must not have been cleaned as there was snow piled up. Aether’s gaze naturally went to the sky.

Is the full moon already?

Full moon. The satellite that stabilized the axis of rotation of the continent was plainly visible. The day was growing darker.

She warmed up her hands by blowing on them. Aether took off the muffled and held it up with her hands.

A white, soft muffler. She still didn’t know who had given it to her. There was no brand name, either.

But.

It’s warm.

For some reason, she thought it’d be better to keep it on.