At that moment,
"Young miss, can we just let him go like this?"
Chen looked at Isabelle with a worried expression.
While working with Elric all this time, he acknowledged his abilities, he still harbored considerable caution towards him, as his true identity remained unknown.
"He said he's going to check out the news from outside because it's been too long since he left the mountain."
"But..."
"If you're so worried, would you go along too, Chen?"
In a tone that betrayed considerable tension,
For a moment, Chen was left speechless, unable to say a word.
Isabelle looked at him like that, letting out a deep sigh.
In truth, she knew why Chen hadn't followed Elric. It was probably because he was afraid that they would encounter Blue Wolf Squad while he was absent.
And since the events on the Yeti Highlands, Chen's overprotectiveness had become too much.
It was becoming burdensome even for her.
"Chen, I know very well what you're worried about. But you must remember that excessive worry and suspicion will only limit your actions."
"...I'm sorry, Young miss."
Chen bowed deeply.
However, Isabelle didn't miss the fact that Chen's expression remained unchanged.
"Chen…,Do you still think there might be a spy among us?"
For a moment, Chen's eyes flickered.
"As expected. You still have that thought."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Considering everything that has happened so far, it's reasonable to have suspicions."
The Blue Wolf Squad 6 had been relentlessly pursuing Isabelle and her companions like ghosts. Several times they had even preemptively occupied the paths they were supposed to pass through.
There were too many absurd situations to simply attribute their tracking abilities to skill alone.
"But as I said, my thoughts differ from yours, Chen."
"Indeed. You mean to say it's unreasonable to think that squad 6 would have wandered around the Yeti Highlands?"
"That's right. If there really was a spy among us, would it have taken this long?"
"However, due to the nature of the terrain of the Yeti Highlands, it is difficult for Ganja to secretly leave a secret message. If not, they could have mistakenly killed the spy before."
"That's possible too. But isn't it too extreme to think that Ric is the spy?"
It didn't make sense for them to sacrifice squad 6 just to plant a new spy.
"...I'm not making any conclusions. I'm just saying that 'maybe'. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious, would it? Moreover, it's not just Paul Weyl who aims for our main house. The seven lions, Black, White, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Violet... They're all essentially enemies, aren't they? They wouldn't want to miss out on such an opportunity."
There was no sign of him relenting.
He was too stubborn.
Isabelle no longer had the confidence to persuade him.
At the moment, just thinking about 'how' to negotiate with her uncle was enough to give her a headache.
But
Still, it seemed like something that needed to be addressed before ending the conversation.
"Chen, you may be right. But remember one thing. If you suspect Ric, it means you also doubt my decisions."
If Elric indeed was planted as a spy by someone, it could pose significant problems later on.
However, there was nothing they could do about it for now.
Right now, they needed to put out the urgent fire first, so Isabelle had to trust Elric.
And above all,
'I believe in him.'
Isabelle decided to trust the eyes she had seen in Elric.
Firm and resolute eyes.
Those were the eyes that only those who had staked everything could possess.
Isabelle believed she was as sure in reading people as anyone could be.
That's why she had never considered the possibility of a spy among those she had been with.
"...I understand. However, it may be an intrusive question, but may I ask how you perceive this person called Ric? In fact, if he's not a spy, he could be seen as just a mercenary for the money, couldn't he?"
For a moment, the image of Elric calling her 'customer' flashed through Isabelle's mind.
She couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly composed herself and nodded calmly.
"No, he probably did it on purpose."
"What do you mean...?"
"From the beginning, he helped us without any reward. It means he's inherently righteous and principled. Would such a person readily accept being a mere escort?"
"And?"
"He probably figured out who we were early on, so he deliberately led the conversation to make it sound like a 'commission.' He acted as if he was a mercenary for hire."
"…!"
For someone from a martial family to be rescued by someone else could be seen as a sign of weakness from an outsider's perspective.
It could become a fatal weakness.
But what if they were rescued by 'commission'?
The story would change completely.
This means that they recognized the talent of a talented person early on and made use of them immediately.
That, too, becomes the strength possessed by the martial family.
"He deliberately lowered himself to avoid tarnishing the honor of our family."
"Ah! Such profound meaning!"
"…Hm!"
Ed, who had been silent until now, looked impressed.
While Chen still harbored some doubts, his expression showed surprise. It sounded quite convincing.
With such responses, Isabelle couldn't help but have an excited expression throughout her speech.
"Perhaps, going outside now is also to survey the surrounding terrain. It's widely known that when choosing a residence, a magician, or rather, a magus, pays a lot of attention to the surrounding environment, isn't it?"
Ed nodded in agreement. Chen had nothing further to refute, so he simply bowed silently.
"And...!"
As Isabelle was about to add something about Elric,
Boom!
At that moment, the inn shook violently.
There was a massive explosion outside, accompanied by such a strong earthquake that all the food and dishes on the table fell to the floor.
Isabelle barely managed to keep her balance and turned her gaze towards the window.
There was a huge blaze erupting outside.
"Fire! It's a fire!"
"Oh no! My house...! My shop!"
"Andrew! Andrew, where are you?"
Several buildings were being engulfed by the flames, and people were running around frantically. Some were even collapsing in their seats, while others were trying to rescue babies from their homes but were being restrained by the villagers.
It was an incredibly chaotic scene, to say the least.
Anyone could tell it wasn't a natural fire-induced chaos.
"This is...!"
Isabelle's eyes widened in shock.
"Young miss, we need to leave immediately! Quickly!"
Chen was the first to assess the situation and grabbed Isabelle's arm, pulling her away.
"But...!"
"If this is indeed the work of Blue Wolf Squad, then staying here is exactly what they want! It pains me to see the citizens suffer, but now is the time to stay calm!"
But Isabelle couldn't bring herself to move hastily.
Her legs were trembling.
She felt like collapsing at any moment.
From the Yeti Highland to this city, how many people had been sacrificed because of her?
If she hadn't been here, they wouldn't have destroyed the foundation of those who had lived ordinary lives as usual...
She despised Blue Wolf Squad, and she disliked her uncle.
Are these ordinary people invisible to his eyes?
How high up was he sitting that he didn't feel the need to look down?
Boom!
Boom, boom...
"Young miss!"
There was another bigger explosion.
The flames were spreading to the inn they had been in.
Though Chen and Ed looked pale,
Isabelle still stood there, staring blankly out the window at the unfolding scene.
Her teeth clenched.
A sense of helplessness mixed with irritation and anger surged from one side of her chest.
Part of her wanted to go out and scream at them to stop their pointless actions since she was here.
But on the other hand, she felt strongly that she didn't want to submit to such trash anymore.
If she had the strength.
If she had the talent.
She could defeat them and stand proudly...!
Like Elric.
'Why not me!'
As Isabelle's fist clenched tightly,
"Young miss, it's dan..."
Suddenly, the room brightened for a moment. The temperature inside seemed to soar as if it were about to melt.
Beyond the window, the flames were closing in on Isabelle's side. It happened so quickly that Chen's shout and the screams of others were almost drowned out midway.
But then.
A pale white curtain descended, covering the flames.
To Isabelle, it seemed as if a heavenly light was shining from above toward them.
Kwaaaang!
The flames couldn't reach the inn.
The white curtain turned into a storm of dozens of branches, tearing apart the flames and extinguishing even the remaining embers.
And then, the snow that followed extinguished the remaining flames!
"Ric!"
Isabelle opened the window wide, knowing full well who the owner of those snowflakes was, and shouted his name loudly.
Far away, halfway up the partially burned roof.
Elric stood tall and dignified, looking down at the Blue Wolf Squads surrounding him.
The scene of him standing amidst swirling black ashes, white snowflakes and transparent ice shards, mingled with red embers, in the center of the stage, was majestic enough to make one's heart tremble, as if witnessing a portrayal of some legend.
And so,
Isabelle couldn't help but think.
No matter when it may be.
Even if it might be impossible in her lifetime.
She wanted to stand by his side somehow.
* * *
"It's not enough for these fucking bastards to behave like shit once, they keep acting like shit?"
Thud!
Elric stood on the roof of the tallest building nearby, surveying the city spread out below him, now nothing but ruins.
Collapsed walls, charred skeletons of buildings...
Despite the fact that the fire had swept through not long ago, the devastation was so complete that it seemed impossible to find any intact areas.
In fact, even where he stood was partially crumbling and in poor condition.
Especially the victims who had lost their homes and families in an instant wore expressions of despair, staring blankly at him.
Elric couldn't help but become more angry as he watched the blue langurs gathering around him, giving off a sinister force.
『They come here without even knowing that this is their place to die.』
Mephisto exploded with laughter as he watched those people.
As someone who was connected to Elric psychically, he couldn't help but know how angry Elric was.
『The wrath of Melvinger... Even if it's dormant most of the time, once it explodes, there's no stopping it.』
Having once been a rival to Melvinger, he knew this very well.
Unlike ordinary humans who typically make mistakes when they lose their composure, Melvinger becomes even more ruthless and calculated, and, moreover, stronger!
"[Unlock Armament]."
In an instant, the memorized spells were released, amplifying his mana and vitality.
The mana field extended in all directions, dominating the area. Every movement happening there was detected by Elric's keen senses.
The two leaders of the Blue Wolf Squads, Beskov and Simonan, swiftly moved to subdue Elric and inquire about Isabelle's whereabouts. However, they hesitated for a moment, feeling a chill run down their spines.
Instinctively, they felt they had been misjudging something all along.
But...
"[Gust]."
As Elric fell from the roof, he activated the Seal of Cruelty.
Snowflakes began to gust down.
A shower of ice followed.