The Master of the Villains Has Disappeared

Unlike Leta Yurt who immediately headed outside the compartment when the train was attacked, Isabel Yurt was still left inside the compartment.

The reason being that it was dangerous outside.

"Hmm, what on earth is happening..."

Due to the triple protective magic her sister had cast just before, she couldn't go outside the compartment even if she wanted to.

Therefore, Isabel was just sitting quietly on the leather seat in the compartment, waiting for Leta to return, when.

-Rattle.

-Rattle, rattle, rattle...!

"...Huh? W-What's going on?!"

The train wheels visible through the compartment window gradually rose into the air, and then began to cut through the clouds.

Her eyes blinked involuntarily at the surreal sight she suddenly encountered.

It felt like she was dreaming.

After all, a long train flying through the sky was only possible in dreams.

-Pinch!

"Ouch!"

That's why she tried pinching her cheek as a test.

She had to rub her cheek immediately, groaning from the pain that was more vivid than ever, but.

"What is this..."

Concluding that everything she was facing now was reality, Isabel shifted her gaze to the side.

What she saw were the pure white clouds she had always looked up at.

She just silently stared at the sight that was incomprehensible to the young girl's mind.

Why had the dizziness she felt until boarding the train disappeared?

"Did Lord Patron do this...? Or Leta?"

Her doubts, far from subsiding as time passed, only grew.

It was because everyone who could answer Isabel's doubts was outside the compartment.

How much time had passed since then?

-Creak.

"Huh?"

The train, which had been maintaining a horizontal position until just a moment ago, slowly tilted and soon formed an angle where one could hardly stand properly.

Isabel's delicate arm naturally grabbed the edge of the seat.

The pure white clouds visible through the compartment window were also passing by diagonally at a rapid pace.

Isabel realized that the train she was on was falling rapidly.

"D-Dad...!"

Just as the finally frightened Isabel unconsciously closed her eyes tightly and desperately called for her father.

-Rustle.

Small circles from somewhere began to stick to various parts of Isabel's body.

Soon, intersecting semicircles and octagrams were drawn inside the circles.

The circles that had now completely covered Isabel's body were engraved with more precise formulas.

What these geometric-like patterns were in charge of was controlling physical phenomena.

"『Inertia』"

"『Reverse』"

The familiar voice that followed chanted two spells in its usual calm manner.

The sense of speed disappeared as the small magic circles emitted a soft light and vanished simultaneously.

"...Huh... Huh?"

Isabel's eyelids slowly lifted as she no longer felt the sensation of falling.

The train, which had been falling terrifyingly until just before, was now standing still in mid-air.

It felt as if time had stopped.

Although she became aware of the flow of time again when she heard the metallic sounds of the train wheels aligning with the tracks just a few seconds later.

The firmly closed compartment door opening came next.

Tears burst out involuntarily at the familiar face she saw.

"Isabel. You can come out now."

"Leta, I, I... ...Huuuu!!"

Although Isabel had many things she wanted to ask and say to her sister who had left her alone in the compartment, all she could give was the sound of crying.

For a girl who had lived her whole life in the family mansion, the events of these few minutes were too frightening.

She didn't notice her patron's gaze standing right behind her sister until her crying stopped.

She couldn't understand the man's voice at all, which she had trembled in fear at just noticing his presence.

○

"Oh my, your eyes are all swollen..."

A voice half sympathetic, half apologetic.

Soon, a young hand summoned a damp towel in mid-air and moved it towards Isabel's eyes.

"Holding this against them might help a bit."

"...Thank you..."

Isabel's cheeks turned slightly red at the always gentle voice.

She felt embarrassed about herself crying so much earlier, unlike her sister who had remained calm without showing any signs of surprise at the previous commotion.

However, because of that reason Isabel herself, Leta, and the ancient dragon Orphion were located in the dean's office of Primus.

"...I'll have some tea for a moment. I think I need to calm my head a bit."

"Ah... Yes."

Isabel nodded slowly at the trembling voice of 'Ainel Delanova', the dean of Primus, that was heard soon after.

A moment later, Isabel also picked up the teacup placed right in front of her and took a sip of the warm black tea.

The first part of the conversation that started after a brief tea time was Ainel's formal introduction.

"I am Ainel Delanova, the dean of Primus Academy."

An explanation of what the current situation at Primus was like in general was added next.

It was also mentioned that normally, there would have been a more complex test to determine if someone was suitable to be a professor.

However, since her ability had already been verified by resolving the train attack incident.

"I won't ask how you've already reached such a level. But teaching students is a different matter."

Ainel tried to confirm if the girl sitting in front of her really had sufficient qualifications as a professor, as the ancient dragon had said.

After all, 'teaching' was something that required sufficient experience.

First, she wanted to test if the girl could help others understand and develop.

She decided to discuss the aftermath of the attack incident once she was convinced that the girl was suitable for the professor position.

-Rustle.

Then, a diagram of a certain magic circle was handed over.

It was one of the test questions for the 'Mana Design' subject, which currently had a vacant professor position, and it had a somewhat distorted form.

"Deconstruct the magic circle, then reassemble it. I'd like you to explain the process as well."

Everything Ainel requested required a deep understanding of magic studies.

It might be possible to reach the conclusion of the problem, but making others understand the process of reaching that conclusion is a different matter.

However, she was going to give her a little time.

She couldn't immediately solve the problem she had just encountered and explain it to Ainel at the same time.

"Let me know when you're ready."

Just as she was about to watch how the girl would handle Primus dean's test.

"May I... start?"

An unexpected response was heard from the girl who was staring intently at Ainel.

Ainel's gaze wavered slightly at these words from the girl.

"...Right now?"

"Yes. I'm going to try explaining it to my sister here."

Finally, she allowed the girl to explain, hearing the voice without any hesitation.

Almost simultaneously, small lights flew gently from the girl.

Those that were floating powerlessly like feathers swaying in the strong wind somehow gathered together to form a large circle.

"Hmm, first of all, this magic is in the illusion category. Instead of phenomena, it focuses on making illusions, that is, making fake things seem real."

Tiny pentagrams gradually appeared inside the smoothly drawn circle.

Inverted triangles connecting between them.

"The most important thing in illusion magic is the confusion of mind and senses. So, the priority is to confuse the senses of the magic's target."

The shapes that overlapped or collided and stopped soon completed the diagram.

There was no hesitation or reluctance in the entire process.

"What illusion magic ultimately aims for is to confuse the target's five senses. Therefore, we need to make them feel both reality and illusion simultaneously."

All that could be felt was certainty.

There was a sense that the answer her fingertips were drawing would never be labeled as incorrect.

"There's nothing as certain as mixing reality and lying in one space. Lastly, I think it would be good to scatter the sense of space as well."

-Swish.

Finally, the completely reconstructed magic circle floated in the air with a soft light.

Then, it gradually expanded and expanded, until it covered the entire dean's office.

And so, snap.

All the diagrams engraved in the magic circle began to function by the girl's lightly snapped fingers.

The scenery of the dean's office gradually disappeared by the mana crystals scattered all around.

At the very last, even the flow of air was reversed all at once.

The resulting scene was that of a vast prairie.

For some reason, both the sun and moon were visible in the sky beyond.

A faint scent of spring felt from all directions.

Isabel and Ainel's hair gently swayed in the wind that was slowly blowing from beyond.

"W-Wow... The wind really blew!"

Isabel's voice marveled at the lifelike illusion spread all around.

On the other hand, Ainel, who had intended to test the girl, was speechless.

"Is there anything else you're curious about?"

A voice calm beyond measure.

The answer that came back from Ainel to the girl's talent, which didn't match her youthful appearance, was not just in the form of language.

In other words, surprise.

A trace of awe was also present in Ainel's voice.

"...Lord Orphion. Where did you find such a child?"

"Well... You'd be even more surprised if you knew where I found her."

Another gentle breeze swept through the vast prairie.

A sensation more real than any illusion magic encountered so far.

And so, Ainel finally called the girl's name with the two words 'professor' attached.

She also added that she looked forward to the future.

"...Welcome to Primus, Professor Leta Yurt."