The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter53

Frenzy of Deviation

After the commotion of yesterday, Leonardo left his room with a refreshed expression.

He had finally gotten a good night’s sleep in a while, and his fatigue had lifted, so it was time to enjoy the rest of his vacation.

“[Are you planning to have fun?]”

“”

Wouldn’t it be a bit disappointing to come to this mysterious city only to stay holed up in a room doing magic research?

There should be some time for enjoyment, even in this manner.

“[Then are you planning to take Aria along as well?]”

“”

Ariasphil had also become proficient in elemental Spirit Summoning, so taking a break as a reward wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“[Then I have one request for you after it’s over. It might spoil the mood, but it’s something that must be done.]”

“”

“[That’s true, but this is different, kid.]”

The Sage asked with a serious expression.

“[What happened in your past life?]”

“<…>”

It was a question he had expected to come up eventually.

He had merely been avoiding the topic, and the Sage had been considerate enough to notice and not press further.

But it was a question that would have to be faced one day.

“[You don’t have to answer right now. Answer me tonight. You need time to gather your thoughts.]”

“<…Yes, I will definitely answer.>”

With that promise, Leo stepped outside.

“[But how do you plan to find Aria?]”

“”

“[Is that supposed to be an explanation?]”

Even as he was being nitpicked, Leo calmly pointed to a building in the distance. It was the dining hall inside the Magic Tower, with large windows.

“”

“[Are you some kind of bloodhound? How do you pinpoint Aria like that?]”

“”

Calling him a bloodhound made him feel like he was Aria’s pet or something. He was, after all, her knight.

“I guess I might as well grab a meal on the way.”

It was late morning, and he hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, so solving that at the cafeteria didn’t seem like a bad idea.

“[Is the food at the Magic Tower decent?]”

“”

If they didn’t at least serve proper meals, the graduate students would have every right to cause a riot. If soldiers would shoot their officers for lack of food, why would students be any different?

“Ah, Leonardo-kun.”

A graduate student, exhausted from the life of a slave, waved at Leo with a healthy expression. If not for the ring, the orange juice he was drinking would probably have been either caffeine concentrate or a recovery potion.

“Good morning, my lady.”

What Ariasphil was eating was a breakfast set consisting of sausages and scrambled eggs.

“Oh? Oh, uh…! Good morning!”

Aria turned her head in embarrassment and refocused on her meal. But as soon as she saw the long, thick sausages, her expression grew even more flustered.

“”

“[It’s probably too big and thick for her to fit in her mouth.]”

It was a plausible explanation, but the tone and expression that accompanied it were highly suspicious. However, he felt too pathetic to voice his suspicions.

“I guess I’ll have a meal here too.”

“In that case, there’s a special dish today. Would you like to try it?”

Looking over at the menu, the special dish featuring a generous serving of bacon and sausage stood out prominently.

“Oh, that sounds good. I’ll go place my order then.”

Saying so, Leo stood up from the table and walked over to the counter. The Magic Tower cafeteria accepted cash as well as meal tickets, making it convenient for Leo to place his order and enjoy his meal.

“Excuse me…”

“Uh, excuse me…!”

Just as he reached the counter, a young girl approached Leo. With a trembling voice and a flushed face, she spoke.

“I-I…! If it’s alright with you, w-would you like to have a meal with me…!? Maybe even a cup of tea after…!”

At her words, the once-bustling cafeteria fell silent. The incident in the library had been witnessed by many, and the rumors had already spread far and wide.

It had long been established as common knowledge that Aria and Leo were a couple.

This made the girl’s reckless action all the more shocking.

“…Miss Ariasphil…?”

Ariasphil, who had established that common knowledge, gripped her knife as she watched the unpleasant scene unfold.

Ameri, the girl who had approached Leo, trembled like a frightened small animal as she looked at the knife in Aria’s hand, which was exuding a murderous aura.

‘…He’ll reject her anyway. He didn’t fall for that sly sorceress last time either…!’

After a brief silence, Leonardo looked at the trembling girl and responded.

“Since I was just about to place my order, I suppose it’s fine. I’ll inform my companion first. Is that alright?”

Stab, stab, stab!

For some reason, Aria began to viciously stab the sausage on her plate with her fork. The thick sausage’s skin burst, and pieces of meat flew across the plate.

Leonardo, having said this, walked back to the table where Aria was seated.

“Miss Aria, I apologize, but would it be alright if I stepped out for a moment?”

“Oh…! Of course, go right ahead…!”

As Aria pressed her fork into the sausage, juices burst out. The sausage had now been reduced to an unrecognizable heap of meat.

“Leonardo, if you really insist on doing this…! Of course, I won’t get in your way…! Obviously…!”

Anyone could see that she was on the verge of exploding. The juices on the knife and fork in her hands were almost indistinguishable from blood.

“Thank you for your consideration. I’ll be back shortly.”

“S-sure…?”

Unable to bring herself to stop him, Ariasphil bit her lip so hard it turned blue.

Even after seeing this, Leonardo calmly walked out of the cafeteria.

***

“[Are you sure this is okay? If you keep this up…]”

“”

Outside at a table in the café, Leo and the girl sat down after ordering their meal and drinks.

The girl was so nervous that she shook her leg restlessly and fidgeted with her fingers. Her expression was excessively pale, and her gaze was unsteady, as if she were ill.

“[…What’s wrong with her? Does she like you that much?]”

“<…If that were the case, it would be better.>”

Leonardo glanced around with a complicated expression.

“<…Two people… no, is it three?>”

There were eyes constantly watching him from this place. He had a rough idea who two of them might be, but the problem was with the third one.

“[What? What’s going on?]”

“”

Answering with his aura, Leonardo focused his attention on the girl in front of him.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t ask your name. What might it be?”

The girl, visibly nervous, finally opened her mouth.

“I-Irina Rite… that’s my name.”

“You’re trembling quite a bit. Are you cold, Miss Irina?”

With those typical words, Leo lightly touched her hand. It was an action that could be considered rude, something he wouldn’t normally do, but he was forced to make physical contact.

“”

He had to make contact to ensure that his words, conveyed through aura, wouldn’t be overheard.

“…That woman…! Leo…!!”

“Leonardo-kun…?!”

From a distance, Aria and Ameri couldn’t help but misunderstand, but that was a problem to resolve later.

“Y-Yes…!?”

“”

The Sage, observing from the side, couldn’t help but be impressed. Leonardo had immediately realized that her trembling wasn’t due to shyness or embarrassment, but something else entirely.

‘…The situation was too obviously strange.’

He could understand the idea of someone inviting him for a meal. People sometimes develop affection for others without any clear reason. But her behavior was undeniably suspicious.

Logically, a private meeting would usually be arranged in a less crowded place, yet she had approached him so stiffly, almost as if she had been instructed to do so.

Even if one didn’t consider these factors, if someone was genuinely interested in another, they’d usually focus on that person, even if they were embarrassed.

‘But this girl seems more than just embarrassed. She looks terrified. Normally, you might chalk it up to shyness, but given her reactions… it seems my worst suspicions were correct.’

Irina Rite didn’t deny Leonardo’s deductions.

“”

Startled by his words, she hesitated for a moment before scratching her left cheek as instructed.

[… Ordered you? On a date…?]

The culprit’s objective was clear, and their identity could be roughly inferred.

Judging by her attitude and reactions, it was more appropriate to consider her a victim caught up in this incident rather than an accomplice.

She slowly pulled out a napkin and let it slip from her hand.

“Oh dear, let me pick that up for you.”

With those words, Leonardo naturally reached down towards the floor to pick up the napkin. While doing so, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Shall I cover you with a coat? Your hands seem very cold.”

Irina hesitated for a moment before she finally spoke.

“Yes…”

“I see.”

The worst-case scenario had been avoided. If there had been more hostages, he wouldn’t have been able to handle it alone.

Feeling slightly relieved, Leonardo draped a coat over Irina’s back.

‘Make the black stone as thin as possible…’

He transformed part of the black stone bracelet into a thin, fine thread and attached it to the coat. The enemy was likely observing from a distance to kill him, so they probably wouldn’t notice this thread.

It might not be possible to hear ordinary sounds, but with the high conductivity of the black stone and his own skills, he could communicate with her secretly.

She pulled at her left shoulder. The situation, though not ideal, was better than it could have been. If there were multiple enemies, it would be as disadvantageous as having more hostages.

The date was just one of the instructed methods, and it wasn’t particularly important.

Given her position in the Magic Tower, she would have had more than one way to bring him out.

The real issue was what came next. To ensure their survival, it was crucial to figure out those orders.

In the meantime, the food and tea arrived. Leonardo calmly began eating breakfast and started asking questions.

Irina, without touching her drink, focused on eating her food as calmly as possible. It felt like chewing on stones, but there was no room to care about that.

She lifted the glass and took a sip of tea with difficulty at his words.

She looked at Leonardo with a bewildered expression. As a side effect, she held her food awkwardly.

“The dish is delicious. This is a nice cafe. Thank you for the meal.”

This was the best method Leonardo could come up with based on the information he had gathered so far.

As long as this plan didn’t go awry, it was a way to save both of them.

“Shall we hurry a bit?”

“…Pardon?”

With those words, Leonardo extended his hand to her. Holding hands this way would allow him to protect her if the enemy attacked.

“Let’s go.”

Irina and Leonardo began running as if they were lovers from a play.

This move caused Aria’s group to lose sight of them, and the pursuers now had an easier time finding an opportunity to attempt an assassination.

As they entered an alley, a blocked passage and a dark path appeared before them.

If they did that, the enemy would likely attempt a surprise attack to carry out the assassination.

“Um…”

Irina leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and pursed her lips towards Leonardo. It was a scene that might have seemed quite romantic if one didn’t know the situation.

Kaang!

At that moment, a hooded figure swung a sword, aiming to decapitate both Irina and Leonardo.

If Leonardo hadn’t turned the black stone into a dagger to block the attack, the heads of the two would have separated from their bodies and rolled towards each other.

“So it’s you? The one behind all this.”

Leonardo shoved Irina out of the alley and delivered a roundhouse kick to the hooded man. The sound and sensation of bones breaking indicated that Leonardo’s counterattack had shattered the man’s spine and skull connection.

“Graaah!”

“Go now, as I instructed, Ms. Irina.”

Following Leonardo’s command, Irina fled the scene in a panic.

Seemingly relieved by her departure, Leonardo elongated the dagger into a longsword.

“You were involved in the train incident last time and the disappearances this time too, right? I know you’re not dead. So let’s talk slowly at the Magic Tower Security Bureau.”

“…You’re still as cunning as ever, for a mere commoner.”

At that moment, Leonardo sensed that something was off. No matter how skilled a black magician, if their spine was broken, their speech would be paralyzed, and they would have difficulty breathing.

[…This guy… isn’t a black magician.]

As the Sage had pointed out, the enemy before him couldn’t be a black magician. If he were, he would have killed with a curse or a projection-type black magic spell, which would have been more convenient.

“Have you forgotten me? I haven’t forgotten your face even once in the past two years.”

The man removed his hood as he spoke, revealing a familiar face beneath it.

Though the scar on his neck, as if it had been severed, was new, it helped Leonardo recall the man’s identity.

“…Ha… You bastard…”

[…He wasn’t assassinated. That damn bastard…]

Aria’s former bodyguard calmly glared at Leonardo with bloodshot eyes.

[He became a demon. Sold his very soul.]

The demonized Jehad grinned wickedly.

“Did you sell your family to the devil because you had nothing better to do?”

That laugh was exactly the same as the one he had shown to his sacrificed family and fiancée two years ago.