At first, I thought that the thugs were somehow doing this to subdue us, but they seemed just as confused as me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat…is going on?\u201d one of them gasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the one holding onto my neck loosened his grip in confusion, and I managed to fill my lungs with fresh air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was worried about the weird haze surrounding us, but my priority was thinking of how to get away from my captor… But then, he just let go of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then, he addressed me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, miss. I\u2019m sorry for what I just did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Huh?! What?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unable to process what had just happened, I started looking around, and sure enough all of the other thugs were saying similar things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was behaving like some thug…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m so, so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI should have known better than to use violence!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone was apologizing, and some of them were even bowing down on the floor. Just… What is going on here? Only moments ago, all these apologizing men were making scary faces and fighting against us. I couldn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I tried looking at Cezar and Sora, but the two of them were also gaping at each other in confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is happening? And what should we do? I asked myself, when I heard a familiar voice nervously calling out to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLady Katarina!\u201d The voice was followed by its beautiful owner, running toward me with her golden hair fluttering up and down. \u201cLady Katarina!\u201d Maria cried once again as she hugged me tightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This happened some time earlier. I, Maria Campbell, was in my room at the Harbor Restaurant, intently studying the Light Covenant. I do not know just how much time I have spent doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was trying to find a spell which could be useful in helping Lady Katarina and the others, but, alas, due to the lexicon at my disposal here not being as comprehensive as the one at the Magical Ministry, I was having a hard time reading. The spells I could read did not seem very useful at all, and the more I read, the more I was taken by anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was then that I heard a noise outside of my room. I left, hoping to be greeted by news on the situation, but I only found Miss Regina, Miss Larna, and some men I did not know talking to each other with preoccupied looks on their faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat has happened?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter how much we ask around, nobody has seen either Katarina or Sora, to the extent that I\u2019m getting suspicious. It\u2019s almost as if whoever did see them had had their memories erased.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you mean…?!\u201d My eyes widened, and Miss Larna nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think that Dark Magic is involved. Just as we suspected before coming here,\u201d she said gravely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, we were up against Dark Magic. A forbidden magic which one could only obtain by taking someone\u2019s life, in exchange for the power to control people\u2019s memories and intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We had dealt with it several times, but especially so after we had started working at the Magical Ministry. Lady Katarina, by sheer coincidence, had even happened to stumble upon a Dark Familiar, making her connection with Dark Magic even stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now…that strange aura which I had felt. The evil aura approaching Lady Katarina. As I was not sure of its meaning, I never spoke of it with her…but it was likely that a Dark Magic user was after my friend. And I knew it, did I not…? Please, Lady Katarina\u2014please be safe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut they can\u2019t have tampered with everyone\u2019s memories. They must have missed someone…\u201d Miss Larna said just as the door opened and a man barged inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe found someone who witnessed those two!\u201d he shouted, bringing us the news we had been waiting so long for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell done! And where\u2019s the witness?\u201d Miss Larna asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can bring him in in no time…but…\u201d he trailed off, looking worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut what?\u201d she responded, her face darkening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was starting to feel nervous as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut this witness, you see, he\u2019s kind of a tough nut. He\u2019s seen those two, but we don\u2019t know if he\u2019ll talk about it,\u201d he explained, making Miss Larna\u2019s eyebrows rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat might take some time then.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a while, the agent brought in the witness about whom he was talking. At a glance, he looked like a crude, impolite person, and in this instance the contents of the book perfectly matched the cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to know where the young man and young woman you\u2019ve seen have gone,\u201d Miss Larna began, and the man grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can tell you. For a price,\u201d he smirked. He was going to withhold his information unless he was paid for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d Miss Larna asked, dubious but eager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow much can you pay?\u201d he countered, and Miss Larna told him a figure that drew another grin out of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSounds good. Pay in advance,\u201d he demanded, and Miss Larna obliged and then spread a map in front of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKind of in this area,\u201d he said, circling a very wide portion of the map with his finger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t help. Can\u2019t you be more specific?\u201d Miss Larna, who was now visibly starting to get angered, asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe I can. But it\u2019ll cost you extra,\u201d he chortled, then shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis guy…\u201d Miss Larna murmured to herself, clicking her tongue, \u201cHe\u2019s going to ask us for more and more money. We aren\u2019t getting anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I agreed that getting the information we needed out of this man was going to be a very long process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan\u2019t we beat it out of him?\u201d Miss Regina casually asked, but Miss Larna shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith this kind of guy, that\u2019s not guaranteed to work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right. But we\u2019re fighting against time here… What can we do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I could not agree with their suggested methods, but it was true that we were in a hurry. I could not stand thinking that Lady Katarina was in danger while we were losing time. If only there was a way… Oh, of course! Maybe I could use that spell I just read about in the Light Covenant!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is a spell I recently learned which perhaps could make him talk,\u201d I informed my restaurant superior and Ministry superior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan\u2019t hurt to try. Go ahead,\u201d Miss Larna promptly agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHere…\u201d I said, pointing my palms toward the man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHuh? You wanna beat it out of me? I\u2019ll let you know that won\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man was surrounded by a brilliant haze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWh-What\u2019s this?\u201d he yelped, surprised. And then…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…What was I doing? I know that you\u2019re in trouble, and I was just trying to get money out of you at a time like this… Sorry. I\u2019ll tell you everything. Here, that girl and that boy went through this road…\u201d His attitude changed at once and he started apologetically giving us all the information he had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miss Larna and Miss Regina were terribly surprised, but they quickly took note of what the witness had reported and then ordered some of the other people in the room to go there and investigate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy the way, Maria, what in the world was that magic?\u201d Miss Larna, looking extremely suspicious, questioned me after the witness had not only apologized, but even returned the money we had given him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is a spell that makes wrongdoers repent. This was the first time I used it, so I am relieved that it worked.\u201d It was one of the spells detailed in the Light Covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s incredible. If you used this left and right, there\u2019d be no sinners left in the world,\u201d she marveled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnfortunately…the effects are temporary,\u201d I continued, and with perfect timing, the witness started screaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy money! Give it back to me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The spell was broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSeems like it,\u201d Miss Larna commented with a complicated look on her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We went to the area the man told us about, and we found it to be populated by thugs and foreigners. Furthermore, the road leading to the exact spot he\u2019d indicated was full of scary-looking men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miss Larna and Miss Regina (forcibly) asked some of those men for information, and we found out that they had been ordered to capture the girl and young man who were trying to escape from a certain building nearby with children. The young man had blue hair and eyes, and the girl had brown hair and blue eyes. There was no doubt that they were talking about Sora and Lady Katarina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But even now that we knew where she was, we could not go past all the men surrounding the building. My companions were taking them on one at a time, but, if Lady Katarina was in danger, this approach was too slow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have to help somehow… Of course! Maybe I could use the spell from before and make all of these men let us through! I must do it…for Lady Katarina!<\/em> I thought, concentrating as hard as I could. A bright haze, much larger than the one from before, surrounded the place, and the men who were fighting so fiercely until moments ago were now calm. I quickly ran past them. Beyond them was the person I was looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina!\u201d I cried as I took her between my arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeling her so close to me filled my heart with solace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cM-Maria! What are you doing here? And what was that haze just now? Did you do it?\u201d When Maria hugged me, I instinctively hugged her back. Seeing her here made me think that maybe she was behind that weird phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMiss Larna and Miss Regina found out about this place, and we all rushed here. The haze was one of the spells I found in the Light Covenant,\u201d she answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I knew that she was still deciphering it, but from what she\u2019d told me, I thought that all she\u2019d found so far were basic spells that she already knew about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was reading it as fast as I could, hoping to find something I could use to save you. Luckily, I found this,\u201d she went on explaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria! You\u2019re incredible!\u201d Learning a spell like that, especially now while she didn\u2019t have access to the Ministry\u2019s lexicon, was really impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had to do it,\u201d she declared, blushing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat kind of spell is it, anyway?\u201d I asked, looking at the men who were still apologizing to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a spell that makes wrongdoers repent for their wicked actions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWow! That\u2019s amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Its effects only last for a little while,\u201d she frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As if on cue, we immediately saw one of the men running toward us, screaming \u201cWhat the hell was I doing?!\u201d It seemed that the effect of her spell had expired. We\u2019re going to be surrounded again! I panicked, but Larna, Regina, and the others were already knocking them out quicker than they could regain their senses. Cezar\u2019s reinforcements finally arrived too, and they started fighting according to his instructions. Shortly after, all of the thugs were tied down and the children were safe from danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s over now. It\u2019s going to be fine,\u201d I comforted the children. I was impressed by how well all my friends were collaborating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larna, done giving orders, approached me. \u201cAre you guys all right?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, but Sora looks wounded,\u201d I reported, glancing in his direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, we have people who can treat you,\u201d she said, looking at him, \u201cso go and have them tend to your wounds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora, however, shook his head. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing major. But an acquaintance of mine is still inside the building, so let me come along if you go inside,\u201d he requested, pointing at the people who, having dealt with the thugs, were ready to enter the hideout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I knew that he was talking about Arneau. Larna thought about it for a moment, then gave him her approval. \u201cBe careful,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would like to go along too!\u201d I piped up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larna nodded at me, but Sora furrowed his brow. \u201cYou\u2019d better wait outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m also worried about Arneau! I have Pochi with me and I promise I\u2019ll be careful!\u201d I added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora finally gave me a completely unenthusiastic \u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, the party that entered the building consisted of the Ministry people, Cezar and his men, Maria, who\u2019d said she wanted to help, Sora, and me. The first time I came inside there I was being forcefully dragged, and then when I left, I was running away from thugs. Because of all that, this was the first time I got a really good look at the place. It was dirty but large, with lots of rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt kind of looks like a noble\u2019s mansion…\u201d I muttered to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of Cezar\u2019s men, overhearing me, replied. \u201cIt\u2019s exactly that. It used to be a noble family\u2019s vacation home. It turns out they were using it for unsavory things though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnsavory things?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNothing that a young woman like you should know,\u201d he responded with a laugh. This man\u2019s attitude reminded me of Cezar\u2019s, maybe because he was one of his subordinates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While discussing things like that, we kept checking the building\u2019s rooms. Pretty much all of them were empty, since most of the people inside had come after us when we were escaping. However, when we reached one of them, we heard someone inside. We carefully opened the door, and inside there were several men lying unconscious on the floor. And right in the middle of them, looking as if he was about to fall down himself, was Arneau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cArneau!\u201d Sora shouted, running toward his friend. I followed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once we drew closer, we saw that Arneau was so badly wounded that it was a wonder he was still standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid you take on all of these guys by yourself?\u201d Sora asked, rushing to support Arneau\u2019s weakened body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Sorry. That\u2019s as much as I could do,\u201d Arneau replied with a husky voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…You try-hard,\u201d Sora said, furrowing his brow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe must heal you as soon as possible,\u201d I told him, worried about all of his wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But he just insisted, \u201c…No. I deserved this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut you fought to help us. You definitely didn\u2019t deserve this. We owe you. Let\u2019s get you treated! I\u2019ll call someone who can see to that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s all my fault you people were involved in this…\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcuse me! Is there anyone here who can treat wounds?\u201d I shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShall I use magic to cure him?\u201d Maria, who had Light Magic at her disposal, answered my call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, right, you\u2019re able to do that, aren\u2019t you? Please.\u201d First I forget Pochi, then I forget Maria can use healing magic? Get it together, Katarina!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course,\u201d she smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI said that I…\u201d Arneau tried to stop her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome on, Arneau, we\u2019ll get you patched up,\u201d I said, and he squinted his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you all right? Does it hurt too much?\u201d I continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not it. It\u2019s just that it\u2019s all my fault if you ended up here. You should be angry with me, not grateful…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria, go on,\u201d I requested, helping Sora rest Arneau on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGive up, Arneau. She can\u2019t even hear you,\u201d Sora chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut I…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust shut up and do as you\u2019re told.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will start now,\u201d Maria declared, and light started coming out of her hands. No matter how many times I saw it, Light Magic was always a sight to behold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to Maria\u2019s efforts, Arneau was healed to the point where he could be brought to a hospital and receive more thorough care later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I overheard Cezar and Larna discussing something complicated, but at least this whole ordeal was finally over. We\u2019d found and rescued the baron\u2019s daughter who had been kidnapped.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At first, I thought that the thugs were somehow doing this to subdue us, but they seemed just as confused as me. \u201cWhat…is going on?\u201d one of them gasped. Even the one holding onto my neck loosened his grip in confusion, and I managed to fill my lungs with fresh air. I was worried about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3598"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3599,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3598\/revisions\/3599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}