After the trio that had annihilated the dragon swarm departed, three others remained in their wake.
One of them was a girl dressed in red, Lueria Inglot—known as Luela to those close to her. She skillfully wielded a longsword, carving a massive boulder before her into pieces. The sliced rock crumbled with a heavy thud, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air.
"Man, those three were on a whole different level, weren't they? If I’d had to face them, I would’ve been dead in a heartbeat. Thanks for the backup, Philly-san," Frederick Inglot—Luela’s twin brother, known as Fred—said in his usual drawling tone. He watched his sister clear the debris while addressing the final member of their group: Philly Carpenter.
"No need for thanks. This arrangement happened to benefit me as well; that is all," Philly replied coolly.
As Frederick and Philly spoke, a voice called out from within the settling dust.
"Phew, you saved me there, Luela. ...Still, this is quite a sight. It’s almost surreal, in a way."
A man emerged from the haze. His clothes were tattered, yet he was entirely uninjured—Ozwell McCloud. He surveyed the scars left by the battle: the numerous craters and the frozen wasteland that Orun’s group had created. A low whistle of admiration escaped his lips.
Lueria approached Ozwell and handed him a fresh set of red clothes.
"Thanks. So, did those three head off somewhere?" Ozwell asked as he threw on the new attire.
"Yes. Thanks to Philly, none of them will be returning here, Doctor," Lueria answered.
Ozwell, addressed as "Doctor," looked toward Philly with a flicker of surprise. Once he locked eyes with her, a smirk played on his lips.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Guide. It seems I’ve put you to quite a bit of trouble. My apologies."
By the time Orun and his companions had finished off the dragon swarm, they had completely forgotten about Ozwell’s existence.
This was the work of Philly’s unique ability, [Perception Alteration].
While Orun’s group had been occupied with the dragons, Philly had exerted her power to gradually nudge their thoughts away from Ozwell and toward other matters. As a result, Orun and the others had simply left Ozwell where he lay, moving on to their next destinations without a second thought.
Understanding the situation instantly, Ozwell offered his sarcastic apology.
"It’s fine," Philly dismissed. "This was merely a good opportunity for a rehearsal. Saving you was just a secondary matter."
"There you go again with the spiteful talk. That personality of yours is such a waste."
"...Shut it."
"Well, whatever. I knew it from the incident six months ago, but it really is starting to look impossible to kill the 'King of Special Ability Users'—Orun Doura—through physical means. Maybe we really should have finished him off back then?"
"It was that person who decided he should live," Philly countered. "Do you intend to defy their will?"
"My stance is that I couldn't care less what happens to Beria. I’m only lending my strength to further my own goals," Ozwell replied airily.
Philly grimaced at his nonchalance. "Sigh... you really haven't changed."
"Anyway, putting that aside, what’s the plan? It’s no exaggeration to say he’s become a major obstacle for the Cult."
"...Even if you can’t kill him physically, there are other things that can be broken," Philly said. "Besides, don’t you have an idea of your own?"
"Oh, did you figure it out? Actually, I do have something in mind. If killing him is 'close to impossible,' that just means it is possible. Man, there’s nothing like the thrill of a challenge. I can feel the motivation surging already."
"I don't understand that sentiment at all, but you can tell me the details later. We should leave. It's not impossible for them to return by some fluke, and we need to correct the errors that cropped up this time."
"Fair enough. Luela, Fred, we’re heading out. Keep us guarded."
"You got it~," Frederick replied in his slow, melodic drawl.
Lueria gave a similar acknowledgement before turning to Ozwell. "Doctor?"
"Yes?"
"What if... and this is just a 'what if'... what if Caroline, whom you were supposed to have disposed of, was actually alive? What would you do then?"
"...Hmm. Nothing, I suppose. I have no more use for her."
"...I see."
Lueria muttered the words softly, maintaining a blank expression. However, anyone who truly knew her would have recognized the faint glimmer of relief in her eyes.
Her brother, Frederick, saw through her feelings immediately. And Ozwell, whose cold eyes had scrutinized Lueria as an experimental subject for over a decade, did not miss that slight change in her demeanor either.
Thank you for reading to the end.
There are only 4 chapters left in Volume 4. The plan is for 2 chapters from Orun's perspective, 1 from Shion's, and 1 from Felix's. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.