CH 97

“Harold!?”

I yell without thinking.

He looks completely different from the lively person I remember from the academy. His face looks like that of a troubled adult.

But more importantly, I can see exhaustion and desperation in his expression.

“Is that you Rust!?”

Harold’s face is covered with dust.

I jump down from the stage and run towards him and his riding beast, with Kalin right behind me.

“Harold! Your eyes…”

As I get closer, I see Harold is covered in wounds, and his eyes are particularly badly wounded. How did he even ride that beast all the way here in that condition?

“Rust. Thank goodness. It won’t be long until they get here. The capital has fallen completely, and their hands reach all over the country. This is the only place that’s left… Please, Rust. They’re being manipulated…”

Harold can’t finish his sentence before his body starts tilting.

Gravity takes over and Harold falls from the back of the riding beast. Kalin sees this and overtakes me, grabbing him just before he hits the ground.

“Kalin! Nice! Let’s take him somewhere so I can heal him!”

For a second it feels like I’m a student again. It feels nostalgic, like when Kalin and I used to play pranks and Harold would get dragged into them. Harold would be the only one getting hurt all the time.

I unconsciously start running away from reality, and Kalin’s instructions bring me back.

“No! Judging by what Harold said, there’s a good chance that there are enemies after him. Just give me the potion and we’ll take care of Harold. Take Ahri and Roa and try to figure out as much as possible about the enemy’s strength.”

Says Kalin while effortlessly holding Harold in her arms.

“Understood!”

“Yes!”

Say Ahri and Roa, who caught up with us.

“All right. Ahri and Roa, let’s go. But where are they coming from?”

I ask them, and Ahri goes silent for a moment, before I see the shine of magic elements in her eye.

“That way.”

“Yes. I see something.”

Says Roa, who is using her power to see far away.

I look at them before responding.

“All right, let’s go.”

I call Hipopo and pull Ahri and Roa on top of it.

“Hipopo!”

Hipopo then jumps with great vigor.

Using its eight legs, Hipopo skillfully jumps on the brick houses to avoid the crowd. Its movements are light as a bird’s, as it moves on roofs and walls.

And then, we run in the direction Ahri indicated.