Chapter 191: You’re Heartbroken

The Grand Sage sat up from his chair, his gaze scrutinizing Ella carefully, a look of recollection on his face:

“Isn’t this the one you mentioned last time?”

Then he sprang to his feet.

“Wait, she’s really your girlfriend?!”

The last time he came to the Magic Court, the Little Witch did introduce the pink-haired thunder girl this way.

“Stop worrying about that and hurry up. Take us to the scene.”

Vina stood with her hands on her hips.

“Something this big happened, and you still had the leisure to sleep.”

How could you sleep at a time like this!

***

At this time, it was afternoon in the Royal City.

Among the three girls who split up, Zero was the first to complete her mission.

In the Cathedral of Light, Leah had originally been happily sharing tales of adventure in the sanctuary, when suddenly, a bolt from the blue struck.

“What? Ella was taken home by Vina?”

“To be precise, to the Magic Court.”

Zero was always strict with her words.

“But the Magic Court is Vina’s home.”

Leah bit her silver teeth.

“Damn it, how could she do this?”

Zero wasn’t sure if she should remind her that, technically, she didn’t know about the relationship between the two.

Forget it, let’s pretend I didn’t understand.

“Don’t worry.”

She offered vague comfort.

“The Magic Court is a place of academia, and there are many people there.”

“So what if it’s important? People being around doesn’t matter either. The cathedral is a religious center with even more people. Back then, I still…”

Leah almost let the words slip, then snapped back to her senses.

“No, no.”

What to do, she couldn’t think of anything to smooth it over.

The Saintess was silent for a while, then secretly checked to see that her good friend didn’t seem to care about this little slip.

Fine, let’s just leave it at that.

“I—I just mean, she’s too mean.”

Zero: “Yes, mean.”

“How could she bring Ella home without permission?”

Zero: “Yes, definitely without permission.”

“What if she took her home and did something bad… First, let me say, I’m not projecting… No, cough.”

Leah coughed softly.

“I mean, I’m not judging by myself. No, that’s not right.”

Zero tilted her head.

“Are you trying to say you’re not maliciously speculating?”

“Yes, yes, that’s what I meant.”

Leah gave her a grateful look.

As expected of a good friend.

But as for Vina secretly luring someone home, the Saintess could only strongly condemn it verbally.

There was nothing else she could do, except write a letter later to remind her to send her back soon.

***

The second to arrive at her destination was Celes.

Ever since the appearance of the Dragon Hawk, traveling long distances had become much easier for the girls.

What used to take a day or two by carriage now took less than half a day.

A rural town, picturesque scenery.

The Dragon Hawk landed and burrowed into the grass, looking as happy as if it were home, surrounded by the breath of nature.

Celes left it there for the time being and walked into town herself, heading toward the windmill in the distance.

Soon, at the edge of the town, she saw a man dressed like a farmer, wearing straw sandals and sitting on the steps.

He twirled a hemp stalk in his hand, a straw hanging from his mouth, his beard unshaven, looking every bit the wandering rustic.

Celes almost walked past him, but after a few seconds, she turned back, stared at him intently, and tentatively spoke.

“Master?”

The man looked up, his weathered gaze falling on the girl.

“Little Sally, are you also troubled by love?”

What is this even—

“Master, I came to visit you. What happened to you?”

Once, the Kingdom’s chief Sword Saint was not only the very image of elegance in white, but also exuded the sharpness and uprightness befitting one whose sword and person were one.

How had he become like this?

“Don’t laugh.”

The man removed the straw from his mouth and tossed it aside.

“When you reach my age, you’ll understand.”

That would be difficult, and far off.

Celes felt his mental state was odd, so she decided not to beat around the bush.

“Master, besides visiting, I also have something to ask.”

“In a previous battle, my sword broke. No matter how many I replaced, none felt right. Is there a solution?”

“I told you, you’re heartbroken too.”

“No, Master, I’m asking about swords—”

“That’s not a sword issue.”

Suddenly, the man grew serious.

“Child, this is an emotional problem. I saw it right away.”

Celes’s eyelids twitched.

After hesitating, she couldn’t help but ask.

“Master, may I ask how you could tell?”

“Your current state is just like mine was before. It’s the beginner’s stage—clearly a matter of the heart.”

The man was so earnest that the girl was reminded of her childhood, learning swordsmanship from his strict teaching.

It seemed serious.

Perhaps she should take it to heart.

“Then… what happens in the intermediate stage?”

Celes asked.

The man smiled.

“I’m in the intermediate stage right now.”

“Ah?”

***

The scene was a room for magic research.

As Vina described before, several mages had been conducting research peacefully here when suddenly, as if possessed, they burst out, knocking open the door and injuring passersby.

A strong, scorching sensation filled the room, just like the feeling at the entrance of the corridor earlier.

“These are the magic traces they left behind. We didn’t erase them, preserving them to track where they went.”

The Grand Sage explained.

“It’s the same outside.”

Only then did Ella realize the heat in the corridor was part of the crime scene.

“It happened late at night. We weren’t on the same floor. Only someone next door who heard the noise came out to stop them and was burned by the Fire Element before they could react.”

“As for those few out-of-control mages…”

The Grand Sage pulled a small Compass from his robe and handed it over.

Vina didn’t take it.

Ella felt it was rude to leave the old man’s hand outstretched, so she accepted it herself.

“You’re truly a good girl.”

The Grand Sage said.

Huh?

Just for this?

“What’s good about that? She just didn’t know what was going on.”

Vina rolled her eyes at the Grand Sage, then spoke to Ella.

“The old man means for us to use this to track their whereabouts.”

No wonder she didn’t take it—it’s a mission item.

“We old men can’t run anymore. Only you can find them and figure out what happened.”

The Grand Sage said slowly.

“Do your best, but your own safety comes first.”

Vina looked at Ella.

Ella nodded.

“If we leave it alone and it spirals out of control, that would be bad. We should get to the bottom of it.”

Of course, this was also a chance to strengthen ties with the Magic Court, and next time the northern campaign began, she’d have another card to play.

A relieved smile appeared on the Grand Sage’s face.

“You truly are a good girl.”

Who could understand the feeling of redemption when an elder of the Little Witch met such a well-behaved child like Ella?