I Became the Savior of the Academy’s Villains

Two days had passed since the Darkness attack.

For some reason, there had been no further assaults since then.

However, despite the weekend being over, Luca still hadn't returned.

"......."

"......."

"......."

Ottbo, Milia, and Isella were starting to get a strange feeling.

After some deliberation, they decided to go find Kryphi.

"Oh my. Aren't you Luca's friends? It's almost time for class—are you sure you should be here?"

Kryphi greeted them with a strange expression.

Ottbo spoke up cautiously.

"Professor Kryphi, do you happen to know where Luca is now?"

"Ha ha, that's actually what I'd like to ask. So, you all don't know where Luca has gone either."

"No......"

Ottbo, who was wearing a bitter expression, suddenly noticed someone else in Kryphi's office.

"?!"

"......"

Wylde was there in Kryphi's office—no one knew when he had arrived.

Though his face was expressionless, it was clear he felt rather uncomfortable.

Kryphi chuckled as he looked at him.

"Ha ha, Wylde. It seems even Luca's friends have no idea."

"...... Hmm."

"My, my. Not a single person knows where he is. It's truly lamentable."

Kryphi shook his head.

Ottbo frowned reluctantly.

"Does that mean...?"

"It's not that I don't trust the headmaster, but the fact that he hasn't returned after the promised weekend makes me anxious."

With a shrug, Kryphi fiddled with the sword at his waist.

"Since he broke the promise first, I'm inclined to do the same. Besides, we have some reliable people to protect the academy's treasures."

"Ha, are you planning to leave the academy in the hands of the students?"

"You're not just any ordinary students, are you? Honestly, I'm not confident I could beat everyone here in a fight—even with Ottbo, facing both Wylde and Isella at once would make victory uncertain."

Even considering Ottbo alone, if both Wylde and Isella attacked simultaneously, Kryphi couldn't guarantee he'd win.

"Be that as it may..."

"Well, I'm not the type to recklessly search for someone without knowing his whereabouts."

Kryphi showed a regretful expression.

He, too, seemed worried about Luca.

While everyone remained silent, Ottbo thought,

'If it were Luca—'

If it was the Luca he knew, he would have left something behind, just in case he might find himself in danger—even if it didn't seem especially risky.

Somewhere, for sure.

'But Bella said she didn't know either.'

He had already visited Bella before coming here.

Bella also said she didn't know where Luca had gone.

― If it's Master, he'll surely be all right. No matter what happens.

Bella had an absolute trust in Luca.

But even after hearing her say so, Ottbo couldn't help but worry.

'If he didn't leave it to Bella... then maybe something related to Lady Herote, who went with him?'

Thinking that far, Ottbo blurted out,

"Is there, perhaps, something like a warp magic circle in Lady Herote's secret laboratory that's connected to Luca's whereabouts?"

Everyone's eyes turned to him.

Shrinking under their gaze, Ottbo spoke up again, cautiously.

"Maybe he set it up as an escape route in case of emergency... or to call for reinforcements... I mean, there's a possibility..."

"Sounds plausible."

"Where is the headmaster's secret laboratory, anyway?"

The others became excited, apparently agreeing with his reasoning.

Milia used Perfect Control to scan the entire academy.

Soon after, she discovered a laboratory beneath the academy.

"I found it. But there's something even more useful than a warp magic circle here."

"Something more useful?"

Ottbo looked puzzled.

Milia used Perfect Control to bring it over.

"This is..."

It was a magic power panel.

Ottbo immediately recognized the spell upon it.

"It's similar to the one used in the student notebooks, but it's a much more advanced form of communication magic."

"Yes. Seeing the vice-master with one as well, I think she must've distributed these communication devices to her acquaintances."

"How did you...?"

Ottbo, looking awkward, gasped.

"S-So is there a chance there's something like this in my room or Luca's room as well...?"

"I didn't look."

Milia answered curtly, but her ears turned the slightest shade of red.

"Anyway, if we activate this, we might be able to contact Luca."

"But if he were able to communicate, wouldn't Luca have done so already?"

"We don't know. There might be a problem stopping him from communicating. Either way, if we can detect a signal, we can track him in reverse."

With that, Milia activated the magic power panel.

Woooong!

"!"

Only a few seconds after activating the panel, a hologram appeared.

It showed Luca Traverse carrying Ravinia and giving Herote a piggyback.

― This is... is that what I think it is.

― Huh? Why did this activate?

― Who are those people?

Isella glared as they appeared.

"Luca Traverse. What on earth are you doing?"

"Wow... seriously... that's impressive..."

"My, my. It seems we're interrupting something."

Milia admired him while Kryphi wore a sheepish expression.

Ottbo groaned, and for some reason, Wylde looked proud.

Watching them, Luca Traverse spoke with a calm face.

― Come get me if you can. I'm lost.

"?"

Everyone grimaced at Luca Traverse's words.

Milia, as their representative, spoke.

"The person you're carrying—isn't that Herote Marcato? With her there, why..."

― This woman can't use magic anymore.

"... W-What?!"

Milia was aghast.

News that one of the continent's three tier 10 mages had lost the ability to use magic was a truly momentous incident.

― If possible, I'd appreciate quick assistance. I don't have much time.

"What do you mean you don't have time..."

"Luca! Where roughly are you right now?"

At that, Ottbo cut in.

Luca Traverse fell silent for a moment, then looked at Herote.

― Tell him the coordinates of where we started and roughly how far we've moved. Then Ottbo Gress can track us down.

― Really? Then...

"?"

Something about Luca Traverse's tone felt different from how Ottbo usually knew Luca.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it, so he let it go and listened to Herote relay their location information.

― And... I'm not sure if this helps, but I saw a rocky mountain and a river. Doesn't seem like there are any settlements nearby.

"Professor Kryphi, do you have a map here?"

"A map?"

Kryphi rummaged through a drawer and handed something to Ottbo.

"It's a map of the Hernan Empire. All the territories and noble families are marked."

Kryphi had originally gotten it to select promising young nobles.

Ottbo took the map and studied it, then pointed somewhere.

"It's likely in one of these three areas."

"Closer than I thought. I'll take this one. If I run, it'll take about two hours."

"Then Milia and I will take this one. With skillful use of Perfect Control, we can get there in less than half an hour."

Looking at the last remaining location, Ottbo clenched his fist.

"I'll take this one. If I use the auto-carriage, I can get there in under an hour."

"I'll go with you."

At that moment, Wylde spoke up.

But then Holore Herote screamed out,

― You can't all leave! Someone needs to defend the academy!

"Luca is more important than the academy."

Wylde responded dryly.

Upon hearing this, Luca Traverse went quiet for a moment, then said,

― Take care of the academy, elder brother.

"......"

Wylde paused, then turned his head away.

"It can't be helped."

"I'll go with Bella, so don't worry too much."

"... If it's Bella, she can be trusted."

Thus, the Luca search party set off.

Before half a day had passed, everyone returned.

It was Ottbo and Bella who found Luca.

"Luca! You're all right!"

"......."

"You're not hurt, are you? You didn't do anything reckless again, right?"

Ottbo checked Luca Traverse's complexion, while Bella wore a hesitant look.

"Master...?"

"......."

She immediately realized that what occupied Luca's body was not Luca, but Luca Traverse.

Luca Traverse stayed silent.

Perhaps because he knew that if he spoke, Ottbo would notice too.

"N-Now's not the time for this. We have to get back to the academy!"

Perhaps Herote, being carried by Luca Traverse, had also noticed.

She spoke urgently, and Ottbo nodded.

"Yes!"

Knowing Herote couldn't use magic, it wasn't hard to guess something was wrong.

Ottbo immediately loaded them onto the auto-carriage and headed for the academy.

"W-Wait! Why is this so fast?!"

Having never ridden Ottbo's auto-carriage before, Herote's startled reaction was a minor incident.

"We're here!"

"Urp! Uuurp!"

"Ah, please don't throw up in here!"

The close call with Ottbo's auto-carriage getting soiled wasn't important either.

"Ah... but to enter the laboratory, you need to be able to activate space magic..."

Soon after, Herote tried to head straight to the lab, but since it was a thoroughly secret space, she could only enter by personally activating her warp magic circle.

It was an easy type to leave, but hard to enter.

While she hesitated, Ottbo immediately contacted Milia.

"We found Luca! And we need your help!"

― My help?

Milia, who had been searching for Luca, came straight back to the academy, understood the situation, and immediately activated Perfect Control.

― Perfect Control

Shooong!

"!"

Despite a special magic designed to reject entry to anyone not authorized, she naturally teleported everyone inside with Perfect Control.

"Is this the power of a divine relic? Impressive! I should study—n-no, now's not the time!"

Momentarily slipping into her mage instincts, Herote quickly pulled herself together and searched the lab.

But soon, a look of despair appeared on her face.

"Subspace... I hid it inside a subspace, but I can't find it."

Herote's security was thorough—even within her subspace magic, she'd placed a special pattern so only she could find things easily.

But now, unable to use her magic, it was difficult to bypass that pattern.

"What are you looking for?"

"It's probably a potion to restore her magic power. She did say she can't use magic."

Milia wore a slightly mocking look, clearly not fond of her.

Herote bit her lip.

"Refined spirit."

"?"

"Why would you need something like that...?"

While Ottbo and Milia looked puzzled, Bella suddenly glanced at Luca Traverse as if she'd realized something.

"No way...!"

"......."

Luca Traverse stayed silent, but Bella immediately understood she was right.

She urgently turned to Herote.

"Is there no way to find it?"

"It'll... take quite a while..."

Herote bit her lip tightly.

Sensing that something ominous would happen if they didn't find it soon, Milia sighed.

"I'll help. I'm not quite sure what it is, but with Perfect Control, I should be able to find it easily."

"M-Me too—!"

Just as Ottbo tried to butt in, he suddenly felt someone grab him.

It was Luca Traverse.

"Luca?"

Luca Traverse went silent for a moment, then spoke slowly, as if he'd made up his mind.

"You're going to have to help me, Ottbo Gress."